Stone Cold
by Spankky
Summary: Karina Paaladen, a young underweight Finnish-American, is suffering from a recent drug-abuse. With Dr. Rockso on her tail, can Dethklok help her overcome her addiction before it's too late?
1. How About a Little Disclaimer?

I do not own Metalocalypse, or any of it legal properties, characters, and music. Metalocalypse is a copyright property of Brendon Small, who I have absolutely no association with.

Let me just make this clear. Thank you for choosing this story to read. As you know, if you have read any of my other stories, I like to take original characters of mine and involve them with the actual series and their characters. I am aware of what I am doing and what I am writing about. If you don't like it, then I suggest you click on the "back" button and select another story to read. If you don't mind OC involvement, or "Mary-Sue" then you probably won't complain.

And another thing. I just want to say that I do not mind constructive criticism. If anything, it enhances my writing skills and influences me to write better chapters and stories. If I have errors, don't hesitate to point them out. It will benefit me. I don't mind unless you portray the image that I'm stupid, or if you come off really know-it-all-ish. I apologize if the first few chapters seem a little chapped. I have too many ideas that I try to cram in all at once. I'm sure most of you suffer the same. I'm not writing a novel, after all.

However, I can't stand flamers. Don't sit there and complain about the way I write my story, what words I choose, the setting, the plot, etc. If you don't like it, then don't read it. Simple as that. There's no need for you to complain about the way I write my stories, because I won't change them. No matter how much you bitch and moan.

Thank you for taking the time to read this short disclaimer. Please proceed to the next chapter to begin reading "Stone Cold" by DoubleDee94. Thanks again for choosing to read my story, and enjoy!


	2. Anonymous Guest

The back alleys of Ft. Lauderdale, swallowed with darkness, had a strange chill to the air the night of the concert of the most brutal band in the world. The sweet smell of the humid Florida breeze was dry and crisp. It was a perfect opportunity; no one was going to be out wondering the streets, but instead watching Dethklok perform another one of their world-famous concerts. It was _the_ perfect opportunity…

A slender young girl, maybe a little too slender for her well-being, emerged from the nearby pharmacy with a small white bag. She made her way down the alley, cigarette in hand. Blue "skinnies" wrapped tight around her limber legs. She stopped and leaned herself into the cold brick wall. Her black Converse shoes were worn and muddy. The girl exhaled a cloud of smoke up to the tranquil night sky, beaming a dark red from the restless crowd afar. "_Deth-klok! Deth-klok! Deth-klok!_"

The semi-silence was interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps tapping on the wet concrete. She turned her head. The colors were unmistakable. It was him.

"So," a shrieky familiar voice said, "got my tabs?"

"Depends," the girl responded with a mischievous grin, shaking the white bag full of lortabs. "Got my coke?"

"Got it right c-c-c-here, baby." His crooked teeth shown through the darkness of the alleyway as he pulled the small zip-lock bag from his bright yellow suit. "Dr. Rockso gonna make everything all better."

The girl tossed the clown the small paper bag. In return, she received the plastic bag full of snow-white powder. She tucked it snugly and cautiously into her skin-fit leather jacket.

"How'd you get dat anyway?" Rockso asked the girl.

"Limped around a bit, told the doctor I thought my ankle was broken."

"Smooth," said the clown pointing to her with both hands. "Hey, uh, while we're here and there's no one to be messin' around, what do you say you give Dr. Rockso some head from that pretty little mouth of yours?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Blow me like a c-c-c-balloon, baby!"

"The fact that I bought coke from you does not make me available to sell to the streets. I'm not a hooker." But it was hard not to look at her: long brown hair, light blue eyes, and a thin waist…

"Come on; come and give Dr. Rockso some love. Screw me senseless, baby."

"I'd rather not," she said, beginning to get a little frightened. She backed away. "I need to go now."

"You don't understand, sweetheart. Dr. Rockso ain't got no pussy since my first wife left me. Come on. What do you say you give Dr. Rockso a little favor, huh?"

As soon as that was said, and as soon as the girl was about to make a run for it, police sirens were heard throughout the distance, headed their way down the street.

"Oh shit!" Rockso yelped. "Dr. Rockso gotta c-c-c-get the hell out of here! Maybe we can pick up where we left off some other time, angel. Be good, now!"

And with that being said, the clown sprinted down the dark alley and turned the corner on the opposite street. She could hear a faint "_I do cocaine_!"

"Crazy fucking clown." The girl shook her head. The alleyway was not a safe place for her either. She was in possession of an illegal drug, and she needed to find somewhere to hide, fast. She tried not to make herself look obvious, so she quickly made her way back onto the street and began to walk up the way. Hopefully she wouldn't run into that clown…

The only place to go and not look suspicious was to the Dethklok concert going on up the street. What other excuse could she use of being out at almost one o'clock in the morning? The only problem was she blew all her money on the lortabs she had got for D. Rockso. She had to sneak in; the cops were coming in quick.

She could feel the bass of the brutal band vibrate through her body as she approached the ridiculously enormous theater. She could see on the screen the frontman of the band, Nathan Explosion, and barely hear his distinctive voice. If anything, she heard the cries of the screaming fans above everything.

She approached the gate, but the Klokateers working as guards were watching the front gate. She quickly made her way around the back. There was a small slit in where the iron gates were not connected. Luckily, she was thin enough to squeeze through, make it by backstage, and merge into a small crowd. One of the guards up front halted her. "Where do you think you're going?" asked the black-hooded man.

"Ummm, I'm V.I.P. I'm with the band. I'm a uhh… I'm a groupie?"

"V.I.P. huh? Show me your pass."

"Hahaha, funny story. You see, I just came from the murderbus, and I left my pass on the seat-"

The guard pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Yeah, uh, have the snipers ready; we have an intruder without a ticket or a pass. We do not know if she is a threat to Dethklok. Don't take any chances. Kill her."

Up above the girl could see snipers at each corner of the arena, all of which had their guns targeted on her. She began to tremble as she covered her ears, ready to be brutally impaled with massive bullets. Well, at least she was going to die before Dethklok… right?

No.

Pickles the drummer, who was in mid-performance, had overseen this incident. He knew she was about to be killed by the snipers, and he knew why. He figured she was no threat. Usually he would let the guards dispose of their intruders, but instincts told Pickles otherwise about this strange girl. He abruptly stood up from his kit, gasps filled the crowd as he walked to the corner of the stage. "Woah woah woah, wait! Hold it! Stop!" He shouted to the gunmen. The music stopped. Everything stopped. "She's with us."


	3. Welcome, New Klokateer

The millions of Dethklok fans grew silent. "Very well then," the hooded guard said after a long pause. The snipers put down their guns, but still kept an eye on her as the girl made her way passed the crowd. '_Great,_' she thought. She hadn't been in there but one minute and she had already made a scene. Her heart raced at the thought of what was in her pocket. Will they search her?

One of the employee's cell phone rang. It was Charles, Dethklok's P.R.

_"What the hell is going on out there?"_

"I'm afraid Dethklok has made too much of an exposure. They had called out on a girl in front of the whole arena. No one knows how the fans will react to her, or the band. We have to bring them in."

_"Called out on a- never mind. Just bring them in; make sure nothing happens to them."_

The band had stopped all together. They had made a decision that could cause fans to overreact. No one could predict what could happen next. They couldn't take any chances, so they dethemployees began to escort the band and their new "V.I.P." to the back stage and onto the safety of their massive tour bus.

The girl waited in a corner by herself, embarrassed. All she wanted was to go home. '_But what home_?" she thought. She didn't need this sort of attention. She was confronted by Pickles, the one who had saved her from the snipers. She glanced up at him. "Thanks…" was all she could say. She smiled a bit.

Pickles sneered. "I figured as much you were innocent," he replied. "Who are you anyway?"

"Karina. Karina Paaladen."

"Pickles," he held out his hand to shake Karina's, "but I'm sure you already knew that."

Karina shook the hand in front of her. She grinned, but not for long as the bustling flow of Klokateers had flooded the back stage and entered the bus.

"Pickles, what the hell?" asked Nathan in his well-known raspy voice.

"Yeah, Picklesh. You can't juscht bring in shome random fan. Fansh get kill every day! It'sh a part of life!" the bassist Murderface added to Nathan's comment, really believing fans dying everyday was just a natural part of the life cycle.

"Dude, guys, she's innocent."

"Oh, and how do we know tshat? Sche could be, I dunno, tchrying tcho embezzle ush!"

"Yes, it's trues, because all ze hot goils ends up beings evils," said the tall blonde guitarist.

"Ahh, gives her a chance, Skwisgaar," implied Toki. "She cant's be that bad."

"Pshht, Toki. She cant's be zats bad? Ze concert was stoppeds early because of hers. Now we don'ts gets any naked ladies after ze show… is zis girls a groupie?"

"Yeah really, guys, just give her a chance. Who knows, I mean, she really may just be a groupie." Pickles looked at Nathan, along with the rest of the band.

The pressure was too intense. "ALRIGHT!" Nathan screamed, which was highly uncalled for. "She can stay, but on one condition." Nathan looked at Toki.

Karina was found sitting on the maroon plush sofa in the grand den of the bus. She thought about what all had happened that night. What if she_ was_ caught with cocaine? She couldn't afford to go to jail. Dethklok had walked up to her, arms crossed. Karina glared back nervously. She hunkered in her seat a little bit. Her legs began to quiver.

"We have decided that you can stay with us, but on one condition. Toki doesn't do a very good job of cleaning up around here, and he could really use some help," said Nathan to Karina. There was a long pause.

"I think you guys have got it all wrong. I didn't come here to see you play. I was hiding from someone," she said, ashamed.

"Hiding? Who're ya hiding from?"

"The police."

"Schee? I told you sche was trouble!"

"Dude, Murderface, calm down."

"Listen," Karina stood up, "I've got to get going."

Nathan stopped her. "You looked a little young, you know, to be a groupie and all. Exactly how old are you?"

"I'm eighteen. And I'm not a groupie. But look, I've got to go." Her hands were beginning to shake. It was these damn withdrawals…"I just graduated like three months ago. I need to go to college." Karina shook her head. "Look, thanks for saving me from the snipers. But I _really_ need to-" Just as she was about to finish her sentence and leave, the bus started moving with an abrupt jerk. She paused. "Fuck my life," she mumbled.

Skwisgaar rolled his eyes. "Oh's, greats. Nows we ams stuck withs dis crybaby."

"Hey!" Toki complained."

"Hey, Schwisgaar, tchat's no way tcho tchalk tcho a lady."

"Uhh, Murderface, just a little bit ago you weren't too crazy about the idea either."

"Well, zchat was earlier. You schee, I realizched schomething. Women are people tchoo, juscht a little bitsh more schensitive zhan ush."

Karina looked around in confusion. "Look. I really can't stay."

Dethklok was silent. "Look, if you don't wanna work here, that's fine. Just tell us and we'll drop you off," said Nathan. Toki looked a little disappointed. But everyone else was perfectly content.

"I really can't. I'm sorry for all your trouble. Thank you," said Karina. The bus had stopped, the breaks of the massive machine squealing throughout the city walls. She slowly made her way to the door, her thoughts weighing her down. She looked back at Dethklok once more. Was she really making the right decision?

Karina lived about the streets, being kicked out of her parents' home the night after graduation. She had lived in poverty all her life, due to the fact her father spent all of their income on crystal meth and other illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and an over usage of zanies. All of the usage of drugs caused problems in her family. Her father had a violent reaction to the buzz these drugs had given to him, and in turn, caused him to hit, kick, and beat his wife and Karina. Her mother had left them some time ago in the middle of the night while Karina and her father slept, never to return or hear from again. She had practically grown up in the 'wrong' side of town. Where else was she going to go? She had every perfect opportunity: a job, a place to live… and a well-secured sanctuary from Rockso…

And living with her father was simply out of the question. With all this and more in mind, Karina turned back from the exit and said to Dethklok, "Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I do need this job."

"So, you mean… you're staying, right?" asked Nathan. "Are you sure this time? 'Cause, you know, I don't want to have to stop every five minutes just because you feel a little homesick or whatever."

Homesick? Yeah. If only.

"Yes. I'll stay. I'll straighten up anything you need: clothes, bed, food, and everything. "It's really the least I can do, you know, for letting me live."

"Good. You can start out with helping Toki with our clothes. We like to, you know, freshen up," Nathan implied. "Oh, and another thing, don't think that just because you live here now gives you the privilege to kick back. We're Dethklok. And you're just a regular jack-off. Well, you're not technically a jack-off, because you're a… well… you know… umm… just don't get to comfortable, got it?"

The bus slowed down as they steadily approached Mordhaus. After the bus had come to a complete stop, Nathan, Pickles, Murderface, and Skwisgaar arose from their seats and began walking toward the door. Nathan turned around to Karina. "And don't try to embezzle us! Alright, you got that?" Nathan stepped off the bus and headed toward Mordhaus.

Karina smiled a bit until the band stepped out. Then, with a faded grin, she sighed. _'I guess you can call this payback for my addiction.' _She began to walk forward, trying to keep an eye on Dethklok and the Klokateers for a sense of direction. It was, after all, a huge place.

An anonymous Toki watched Karina from a distance, trailing along behind her. His caring instincts could not resist her. She smelled of cigarettes and weed. He knew she needed help, somehow. He didn't know why.


	4. Early Morning Sun

After a long moment of walking straight forward on a stone walkway, Karina had finally reached the grand entrance; the massive double doors to Mordhaus itself. She couldn't help but stare in amazement, for she had never been in something so huge before. This was now her new home.

"Heys, what ams you's gawkings at?" Skwisgaar interrupted her trance, hatefully at that matter, and began to play his unplugged guitar. His fingers swiped so fast along the fret board, it was hard to tell what he was playing.

"Nothing, I mean… this place is enormous!" Karina stated, still in awe at the structure of Mordhaus. It was definitely not the home she'd remember, or even like anything she'd ever seen before. There were no low-wattage light bulbs, no commotion of drunks going on outside, no smell of cigarettes and meth…

"Yeah, well… here's you know, the living room. And uhh, if you go back a ways, there's the kitchen… and if you go upstairs there's our, you know, bed rooms and stuff. So uhh… hmmm…" Nathan walked up the right staircase, more than likely going to sleep. It had been a long night after all.

"Dudes, I hate to say it, but I ain't drinkin' tonight. My head is killin' me." Pickles began to follow Nathan in his tracks, before he turned to Karina. "Oh, and uhh, if you get asked questions by some hooded guys, no hard feelings, kay? They're just Klokateers; they work here, too. But don't worry, you don't have to wear those masks or anything. Night." Pickles continued to his destination, where he will remain in slumber throughout the rest of the night.

William Murderface walked up from behind Karina, startling her a bit by putting his hand on her shoulder. "Oh, and juscht tcho let you know… if zchere's anything, ANYTCHING I can do to help you or protectch you in any way… pleashe… don'tch heshitate tcho ashk…" He took his hand off her shoulder and smiled. "Goodnight." Before Murderface went too much further, he turned to face her again. "Oh, and uh, when you wake up tchomorrow morning, I like my French toasht a littchle bitsh… burntch on the outshide, mmkay?"

Karina smiled a bit. "I'll be sure to remember that, Murderface."

"Not zhere'sh a good girl." With that being said, Murderface finally retreated to his lair upstairs.

Karina looked over to already find Skwisgaar asleep on the couch with his guitar. What was odd was that he was still playing it… how did he do that?

"I's helps you find everythings," said Toki from behind. Karina turned around to find him smiling at her. She was waiting on an order…

There was a long pause. No reply. "Thanks," Karina had finally said.

"I Toki. I's play rhythm guitar for Dethklok… but you's probably already knows that."

Karina giggled. "Karina Paaladen."

"You don'ts haves to make French toast in the morning… our private chiefs do's that for us."

Karina looked around to find wandering Klokateers walking throughout the long hallways. "If you have so many employees working for you, why does the rest of the band make you clean up after them?"

"Uh, I don'ts knows. Maybe 'cause I ams rhythms guitar. Skwisgaar say I do nothings." Toki shrugged. Being pushed around didn't seem to take much of an emotional effect on him.

Karina frowned. It was sad to see a fellow band member be treated like one of their employees instead of a brother. "But you _do_ do something; all of you do."

"Meh, I ams in control of snacks. It's bullshits, honestly." Toki walked over and laid on one of the couches, the top of his head facing Karina. He closed his eyes. "But I do's my own laundry, and I cleans up my own mess. I takes care of myself, so you ams not worry about cleanings up my mess. Murderface help sometime." Toki leaned back and opened his eyes, only to see sympathy in Karina's.

"Well… at least you'll have a helping hand now," Karina said.

"Yeah… I guess." Toki sighed.

Karina attempted to change the subject. "I wish I would have had time to get more clothes," she said with humor, trying to lighten up the conversation. She giggled. "I don't want to have to wear this every day."

"We take you shopping," said Toki. His Scandinavian accent was very strong.

"Do you think the other guys will get mad?"

"Fucks them." Toki smiled and stood up. "Comes. Let me shows to you your room," he said grabbing her left hand.

Toki led Karina up the left staircase and onward down a dark hallway. To the left, there was a door. Toki stopped in front of it. He's selected one of the available rooms. "I picks this one for you, because it's the biggest." He opened the door. The room was a fairly good size. It had a twin bed with dark red sheets, and a dark wooden dresser. It had looked like all the rest of the rooms; stone floors and walls. But this one had a small balcony with an overview of the yard. Karina grinned.

"Goes in. We gets you clothes later."

Karina walked in slowly, savoring the moment of actually having her very own room, whether it really be hers or not. It was a little dusty, but it didn't matter. She'd clean it up later. She walked over and sat on her new bed. '_Not bad_,' she thought. Toki sat next to her. "Do yous likes it?" he asked with a wide grin.

"It's great," Karina replied. "Thank you." She heard howling from outside the stone walls. She rose off her bed and walked to the door that led to the balcony on the left wall. She could see small figures moving around in the yard. "Dogs?" she asked.

"They're wol-e-ves," said Toki, trying to pronounce the unfamiliar word. "We use them to scares away intruders. Then eats them."

Karina grimaced. "Oh…" She turned around to where her back was resting on the railing. "Care if I smoke?" she asked Toki.

"Uhh, no's. Goes ahead." Toki looked to the side, then back up at Karina. He watched her ignite her lighter as the end of the cigarette lit a bright orange, and then quickly turned black after she inhaled the tobacco ash. She slowly exhaled as the smoke faded away with the wind. Toki blinked.

"You don't mind do you?" she asked once again, noticing the expression on Toki's face.

"No's, you do's whatever you wants."

"Okay." Karina looked down, trying to avoid eye contact. If only he knew her _other_ secret…

But Toki knew, maybe not of her severe cocaine addiction, but he knew there was something else about her, hiding behind that cigarette. Maybe it was because her eyeliner was so thick, or maybe it was because he could count every rib in her body; the way she kept to herself. Something wasn't right about her…

After a long awkward silence, and after she had finished her cigarette, her and Toki walked back into her new room. They sat back down on her bed. It was quite cold in there, so she pulled the covers up over her legs. "Are you cold?" she asked. She began to shake. She nervously grabbed her arms. "My god I am…"

"No. I'm fine." Toki looked at her closer. "Uhhh… Karina, you don'ts look so good…"

Karina realized it wasn't the room that was cold, it was her. The withdrawals were beginning to take an effect on her. She already knew she was pale, cold, and clammy. She didn't even have to look at herself to determine that. She dug her finger nails into her skin. Her heart began to race. She could feel her chest tighten, like a snake constricting around her and using her for prey. Now she was frightened…

She felt a warm hand rest upon her cheek. "Oh, wowee! You's feels ice cold; like a rock or something…"

"I just need my medicine," she lied, her teeth clattering when she spoke. "Yeah, that's what I need. I need my medicine…" She could feel an anxiety attack coming on her. She began to feel nauseous…

"You wants a sips of water or something?"

"No!" she raised her voice a little. Toki stared at her in confusion. "Um, I mean, yeah. That might help a little, I guess."

"Okays. I be's right back!" Toki scrambled off of the bed and hurried down stairs through the living room and into the kitchen. "Waters, waters, waters," he repeated nervously, digging through the metal cabinets for a glass. He was unsure of where they were, since the chiefs and employees usually got it for them.

Meanwhile, Karina's body was wrapped fully in covers and sheets, except her head. Her breathing became heavier with each passing minute. She needed it now, or she was going to be sick. She had the chance; Toki was gone, and he was taking a while to find a glass of water. And it would take him a while more to walk up the massive stairs and in to her room. But then she realized that she was letting the drugs get the best of her. She wanted help, but never found the means to go into rehabilitation. Just this once and she'll quit. One more time, then she'll quit. It was the same excuse over and over. But this time, she needed it. She had gone too long without it. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the baggie of cocaine. She laid a line on the back of her wrist, and snorted it quickly; fearing Toki would come in at any second. Her body shook as the drug entered her sinuses. All of a sudden, the tension eased. She felt no more anxiety. Her heartbeat slowed, and her shoulders slumped. She was completely at ease; for now anyway. She took one last deep breath, and let it out slowly. She hated herself for what she had done…

She heard footsteps coming up to her room. Everything was starting to get wavy.

"Here's you go." It was Toki. His steps looked like they were in slow motion. He walked over to her bedside and sat on his knee, handing Karina the glass of water he'd gotten for her.

Karina smiled, faintly. "Thanks, Toki," she said. She pulled a couple pills out of her pocket. She popped them in her mouth and used the water to swallow them. The pills she had taken were two blue lortabs that she had taken from Rockso's bag. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She lowered her head.

"That medicines works really quick," said Toki. He knelt down and looked up at her face. "Is there anythings else I can gets you?"

"No…"

"You sures you okay?" Toki was concerned for her.

"Yeah Toki, I'm fine." She tried to smile. "I just don't feel very good is all."

"Well, thats medicine shoulds help. Maybe yous feels betters later." Toki sat next to her. "Nows I sits right here and makes sure you ams okay." He smiled.

Karina shut her eyes. Everything was beginning to get too trippy for her. Not only did the lortabs relax her, but the cocaine made her hallucinate. She opened her eyes a little bit. "Toki," she said faintly. Her eyes grew bigger. She lifted her hands and touched the ends of his Fu-Manchu.

"Uhh, Karinas, what ams you doing? This kind of hurts."

"Toki?"

"Whats?"

"You have worms on your face. Here, and here." She tried to pull them off.

"No I don'ts, do I?" Toki felt his face underneath her fingertips. "Oh. That's just my mustache. No worms."

"But they're moving…" She stared in awe.

"Maybe you just needs to lays down for a while." Toki gently took her hands and set them down. He frowned.

Karina still looked at his face in amazement.

"Why ams you lookings at me likes that? You's startings to scare me…"

Karina shook her head. "I'm sorry, Toki. This medicine, it… makes me do weird things…" She could hear a ringing in her ears. It sounded like Toki's voice was being blocked off by water. She shuddered. She felt like she was no longer alive. Her heart sank.

"Yeah…" said Toki with desolation. Karina could tell he sensed her uneasiness. "But I still stays with you until you get better. I don'ts wants you to be alones."

Karina said nothing.

"Where're you froms, anyway?"

"Nowhere," Karina replied. There was an awkward silence.

"But you gots to be from somewhere, or you wouldn't be heres."

"My dad, he kicked me out the night after I graduated. He said since I was eighteen, he didn't have to legally put up with my bullshit anymore. Really, he never had to put up with much of me. He spent most of the time in jail. I grew up by myself, and the group of kids I hung around when I still lived in my old neighborhood."

Toki frowned at the familiar story. It reminded him of troubled memories of his own childhood; beaten, tortured, neglected... "But, you said you gots kicked out three months ago… where dids you goes then?"

"Around. I went everywhere. It was really interesting, really. Sometimes I would go to old museums and parks; other times I would go to concerts or gigs."

"But… how did you makes monies?"

"Gigs," she said. "I am- or- I was, in an acoustic band with my best friend called 'Deadtime Theorem'; a two-man- or- two-woman band. We weren't big. We just played at a few bars here and there… I guess that's kind of out of the question since I work here now."

"So you plays the grandpas guitars for money? Wowee. I'm so used to dark and brutal."

"Yeah," Karina said. She was beginning to calm down a bit. "I lived on the streets for a few months. That's when I decided to come here. I was sick of playing guitar for food… I couldn't afford a down payment on a small apartment, or even a car."

"You had to at least made some money. Where dids the rest of it go?"

Karina paused. "Keeping up with this medicine…" She frowned. "I have a really bad sickness. I wish it would just go away. No matter how hard I try, there's no cure for it. But I know there _is_ a cure for it; I just haven't found it yet. But I try and try and try… it still keeps coming back to me. I blame it on my dad, really. He gave it to me. And I'll never forgive him for it."

"So…" Toki frowned, "your dads is the reasons why you's sick… I never really had a fathers either."

Karina looked up; the light hit her eyes.

"My fathers was means to me. He would call me names and hit me a lot…"

"Mine, too."

"But when Fathers died, I felt depressed; even thoughs he didn'ts love me…"

Karina felt the stinging of oncoming tears, burning her eyes and nose. She tried to hide it. "My mom left my dad and I a long time ago. I was around eight. No one knows where she went. Personally, I think she went back to Finland, where she had originally came from and grew up as a little girl; away from him, away from everything. She spoke very good English, but never taught me any Finnish at all." She smiled. "I could hear her talk to Grandma sometimes on the phone. I can remember standing in the kitchen hallway, trying to figure out what she was saying to her." Her smile faded as she looked down at her knees. "She could have at least written a letter or two… or taken me with her, for the most part. She knew I got abused just as much as she did, yet she refused to pick me up and go."

Toki said nothing. He merely looked down at his own two feet, unsure of what words to say. He could relate to her stories. There was no need for her to explain. He already knew. "I wish my mother woulds talks to me… but she don't say nothing. She never dids. She would always looks at me, likes a fish, who cant's close their eyes." Toki scowled. "And she woulds just stands there, while Fathers beat the shit out of me. She never did nothings about it." Toki whimpered. "And now she thinks she can comes in on Christmas and stuff, and it not be weirds. Still, she never says nothings…" Toki laid down next to Karina at a safe distance. "I tries to forget everything about them."

Karina bit her lip. She could feel the knot rising in her throat. She realized she was opening up to someone she's never met before; practically a total stranger. "I grew up too fast…"

"I never grows up…"

After a long emotional silence, Karina turned over to look at Toki. Their sadness in their eyes met with each other. This caused Karina to smile a little bit. "Looks like we're both fuck-ups, huh?"

Toki smiled a little bit, still having a glimpse of that longing sorrow in his eyes. Karina could just see pain within. "That's whats our parents wants us to think." Toki could feel his eyelids getting heavy.

Both of them looked outside to see the sun fighting the clouds, turning all of Mordland a foggy grey. Toki looked over at the clock of Karina's dresser; it beamed 5:54. It was almost six o'clock in the morning.

"Awh, shucks," said Toki putting his hand on his face. "It's almost six; Skwisgaar, Pickle, Nathans, and Murderface woulds kills me if they caught me talkings to the servant lady like this… and we ams having a bands meetings in a few hours. Ahh, I really haves to get some sleep." Toki reluctantly stood up from Karina's bed and stood in front of her. She was shocked to see what time it was, too. Their conversation didn't feel nearly that long… "I haves to go now. You sure you going to be's okay?"

Karina giggled. "I'm fine, now. I'll see you in a few hours, Toki."

"Oh! I almost forgots!" Toki ran out of Karina's room and across the hallway. He was gone a minute. He came back with his stuffed teddy bear that he kept in his room. "Here; haves this, so you won'ts be alone," he said with a smile, thoughtfully setting it next to Karina's pillow.

Karina smiled. "Awwh… Thanks, Toki… for everything."

"You ams welcome." Toki couldn't seem to wipe that grin off his face. "Goodnights," he said walking out of her room. He turned to her when he reached the door.

"Good morning," Karina replied. She shut her eyes.

Toki shut Karina's door slowly and walked across the hall a ways until he reached his room. He nestled into his covers, and quickly fell asleep, though it wouldn't be for long.


	5. Tribunal

General Crozier took the floor as he made his way to the over-sized screen in the small enclosed room. "Gentlemen," he began to speak to the other listening men, "it appears that Dethklok now has a new servent… lady.

"This young girl by the name of Karina Paaladin; 18 years old and the offspring of Richard Sprouse and foreign Finnish immigrant Siiri Paaladen, has been taken underneath the wing of Toki Wartooth. The two have seemed to have come together, which can lead to total turmoil if this relationship is left to grow."

The screen flashed a giant picture of Karina holding a cigarette, looking as if she were left to die in a back alley. Her eyes had dark circles beneath them, and looked as if she would wither away if she went another day without eating. "Karina was kicked out on the streets the night after she graduated from high school by her abusive father. Her mother is nowhere to be seen; she could be dead to the extent of anyone's knowledge. She suffers from severe drug abuse, and is sometimes seen lingering the streets with Leonard Rockstein, otherwise known as Dr. Rockso; the clown who does cocaine.

"If Dethklok is seen with another woman, the public's eye could assume the worst; that this woman is sexually related to Dethklok, and the risk of suicide rate could rise, and the risk of Dethklok getting exterminated could be higher. Mr. Selatcia… what are your remarks on this… new arrival?"

The strange man folded his hands in front of his desk. "We wait," he replied with his eerie voice. "Let's see how this relationship will affect Dethklok and the public. And remember, as we discussed in recent meetings, apparently everything that Toki touches with his love dies… Let's hope that this doesn't happen before the public will get a chance to react…"


	6. First Day

Karina tossed and turned as she slept. She began to shiver and shake. Her stomach began to tighten as she grimaced at the horrible dream she was having…

_"Come on, baby… what do you say we pick up on where we left before?"_

_ It was that damned clown…_

_ "No, please! I'm trying to quit…"_

_ "Get over here, baby. Dr. Rockso gonna make everything alright. Dr. Rockso gonna make you feel good!" Dr. Rockso grabbed her bag of cocaine straight out of her pocket. He laughed, that horrible laugh…_

_ "Please, stop!" But she could do nothing, for he had her bound to her bed with balloons…_

_ "That's it, angel… You know you want to…" he said, teasingly waving the bag in front of her nose. He crawled on top of her._

_ "No, I don't! Get off of me!" Her cries did no good. The loud carnival music in the background drowned out her screams. He began to kiss at her neck. She cried._

_ Before Rockso went any further, he did a line of cocaine on one of her breasts, through a straw, some staying crusted on the rim of his nostril. "C-c-c-yeah!"_

_ All of a sudden, Karina began to get the same sensation she was feeling the night before. She looked down. Sweaty palms, shakiness, nauseous, anxious… She was having another withdrawal…_

_ "Ooooh, baby!" shouted the clown, "You know you want it. Come on… it won't hurt a bit. That didn't stop you from doing it all those other times, did it? Or what about the time when you were thirteen, when your daddy left all that sweet coke on the coffee table…"_

_ "Shut up! Shut the fuck up!"_

_ "You're only gonna make it worse. The more excited you get, the worse the withdrawals are…" He sneered. "You already know that, don't you?" His smirk made Karina tremble in her bed. "Do it," he simple said. "Here, Dr. Rockso'll help you out."_

_ Before Karina could scream another helpless cry, Rockso shoved the same straw that he'd used up her nose. He shut her mouth and her other nostril, forcing her to breath it in. She coughed, but it did no good. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head. But it felt so damn good…_

_ Rockso laughed. Without hesitation, he ripped off Karina's black tank top along with her bra. He pulled down her pants and panties. And then, after a loud "I do cocaine!" he shoved himself inside her. She screamed…_

Karina awoke instantly, out of breath and sweating profusely. She panted and felt her shirt. It was all a dream…

She arose out of bed after slowly gathering her thoughts. She realized she needed help with her addiction; the dream had said it all. She rubbed her eyes and looked over to her dresser. The time 11:44 a.m. beamed red from her clock. She wondered where the nearest shower was…

Meanwhile in the dining room, where the whole band of Dethklok sat but Toki, breakfast had already been eaten. Their P.R. manager Charles Ofdensen, sat at the very end of the long table. He cleared his throat. "Well, as you can see, the show last night was quite a disaster. Would anyone like to explain why?" He paused for a reply. "… Anyone?"

Pickles sighed in frustration. "Look, a girl snuck in our show last night and we thought she was a groupie."

"Yeah, and sche wasch a_ lady_, aboutch tcho be murdered by our schnipers!"

"Yes, right, but, you see, your fans get killed every day. In fact, I'm almost positive at least one of your fans dies every minute. And this doesn't help out our budget at all."

The whole band was silent for a moment.

"Yeah, but, huh, it doesn't matter. She works for us now," Nathan said, breaking the silence.

"Ja, and she ams supposed to be helpings Tokis with dis mess."

Pickled pondered. "Speaking of, where is Toki, anyway?"

All of a sudden, everyone heard the pounding of heavy booted footsteps coming down the stairs, and into the dining room. Sure enough, it was obviously Toki. He panted and bent over to catch his breath. "Oh! Sorry's I'm lates! I hads a long nights last night! I partied! All nights long!" Toki lied. He tried to eliminate all obvious reasons of being caught.

Another set of footsteps was heard, only a bit lighter and more delicate. Karina emerged from behind the wall. Toki looked back at her. She was a lot shorter than they had remembered. "Ummm… sorry to interrupt, but do you think I can take a shower? I feel rank."

"Ummm… I'm sorry, who is this?" asked Ofdensen.

"That's our, um, new girl we hired last night," replied Nathan.

Ofdensen was silent for a second, glaring at Karina to see if he could sense any danger out of her. Nothing. "Very well, then. Toki, since you're already up, why don't you go show her where the bathrooms are… I'm sorry, what's your name?"

She smiled. "Karina Paaladen."

"Alright, then. Oh, and while you guys are at it, you really need to start thinking of new ideas for your next album."

The band groaned.

"Dude, we just released our second album like four weeks ago!" complained Pickles, who didn't necessarily favor the idea of endless blast-beats and the multiple deleting of tracks they had recorded already.

"Yes, I know, but if you want to keep your money, then you're going to have to keep giving the fans what they want."

Karina wasn't particularly interested in what the rest of the band was talking about. It sounded like a lot of business talk. Quite frankly, she would rather have the clean sensation of a shower than stay there smelling like cigarettes and cheap perfume. She felt a little gritty, too. She was about to turn around to leave, but Skwisgaar halted her with a reminder.

"Oh's, Karinas, make sures yous remembers to help Toki with de cleanins of de tables. Okays? We don'ts pays yous for nothings."

"Will do," she replied with a faint grin.

"Comes on, The bathrooms are this way. Follows me." Toki grinned.

Toki and Karina walked side by side in the wide hallways of Mordhaus. It was a little bit awkward after last night, seeing as though not very many words were spoken to one another. All in all, they each knew what the other felt. So in reality, no words were needed to be said.

"Thanks again," Karina said, even though she really didn't need to, "you know, for last night."

"Ohs, no problems," Toki said with a cheerful grin. He glanced over at her. "Do you's feels better now?"

"Somewhat," Karina put her fingers from her right hand on her head and massaged her temple. "I have a really bad headache."

"Well, maybe you shoulds takes more of that medicine," Toki insisted, unaware of what this medicine truly was.

"No! No… I only need that when I start to feel sick." Karina wore a fake smile and chuckled nervously. "So, uh, are these the bathrooms?"

Toki glared at her for a moment. "Oh! Uhh, yes!" He walked her in to the massive bathroom, which held several showers in it. "I tells the others not to comes in, because you's a lady, and you'll be naked." Toki stepped outside, peeking in once more to make sure she was okay. He was a bit pet-peeved after last night's incident.

After a moment, Karina decided it was safe to get undressed. She started by taking off her top. She looked around once more, unprepared of what she might see. She kicked off her shoes and socks, unzipping her pants and pulling them down along with her panties. She unsnapped her bra, and threw it on the pile of clothes that were lying on the floor. She sighed in relief as the hot water beat on her back. It felt so good to get a hot shower, as opposed to sneaking into the camp grounds after dark to use their cheap coldwater faucet showers.

Toki, with his hand over his eyes, walked back into the bathroom where Karina bathed. It was already humid and foggy in there. "Here's you a cleans towel," he said. This invasion of privacy made Karina jump, immediately covering all exposed private areas. "I'm nots looking," assured Toki. Karina still preferred to keep herself decently covered.

"Thank you," she yelled back to him over the running water. She heard the door shut. She sighed and closed her eyes.

Toki walked back downstairs to where his band mates were already settled in the recording room doing, of course, nothing. It wasn't a shock to Toki to see Nathan eating potato chips instead of managing the rest of the band. "Why arent's you doing anything?" asked Toki, a little disappointed in the lack of responsibility the boys had.

"Wells, we figures we can'ts do's nothings without Knubblers here," replied Skwisgaar, slumped back into the couch with the other members of Dethklok. "Aye, ams you's workings on cleanings de tables?"

"Whys you make me do it, Skwisgaar? I'ms an adults, too."

"Ja. But we wants to make sures you knows de importance of's, what's you calls it, responsibilities." Skwisgaar looked away and focused on the rhythm of the riff he was playing on his guitar.

"But I do knows responsibility, Skwisgaar." Toki thought back to what he had done last night. To him, that was a pretty big responsibility.

"Ha. We ams likes a fathers to you's, Toki."

"No, Skwisgaar. I'ms an adults too."

"Okays, Toki. Now, runs alongs; goes plays with your new friend."

Toki pouted. He hated how Skwisgaar mocked him so. "I will. She's a good lady."

"Woah, wait a second. How do you know?" Pickles had overheard this conversation. Now the subject of the new girl had struck his curiosity.

Toki began to get nervous. Sweat began to bead from his temples. He didn't want to mention any part of last night to the guys. But it looks like they'd left him no choice. He had said too much, already. He looked around anxiously. "Uhh, I don'ts knows; we just get to talkings when I shows her to her room last nights, and-"

"Woah woah woah, wait a second. You went in her room last night?" Pickled smirked.

"Yeahs, but not likes that's! We just talk is all!"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Do you like her?"

"Whats?"

"Do you like her?"

"No! She's a nice ladies! You don'ts haves to turn its into this!"

"I'm just messin' with you, Toki. Jeez, don't bust a nut."

"But you ams sittings there, and yous asks me all these questions and I says no's and then you asks again and I-"

"TOKI WHY DON'T YOU JUST SHUT UP!" Nathan bellowed, the last remark getting on his last nerve. The whole room grew silent for a moment. Nathan then pulled out another potato chip from the bag. "Man, I've really gotta stop eating these." His own statement didn't stop him, though.

But Toki didn't. He didn't like Karina. Not like that, anyway.

The band saw a small figure enter the recording room. It was Karina, only her hair was wrapped up in a towel, and she had no makeup. She looked a lot different; a lot more innocent.

Nathan looked over at her. "Ummm, this is kind of a… band only room… you know… this _is_ the _recording room_."

"Awh, come ons Nathans, let her stay," whined Toki.

"Yeah, Nathan. We never got to sit down and have a real chat with this girl," replied Pickles in turn of Toki's request. He believed Nathan and the other boys secretly wanted to know more about her, too.

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever. I guess… she can stay. But only for a little while; we're kind of in the middle of something, here."

The band said nothing.

"So, Karina… that your name? Yeah? Yeah. So uhh… what do you like to do for fun?"

"Ummm," Karina tried to think of anything positive to say that she would do for "fun". "Well, I was in a band, once."

"Ooooh!" The boys said enthusiastically. "A band!" she heard one of them say. She wasn't sure if they were being sarcastic, or if they were actually really interested to hear about her music life.

"An acoustic band," she added.

"… Oh," The boys said in disappointment.

Pickles spoke again. "Well, uh, we got that you were in an acoustic band. So, what kind of music do you listen to? You know, besides acoustic, obviously." What was this, some kind of interview?

"Well," Karina grinned, her bright eyes gazing in a distance; almost as if she were dreaming, "my favorite band in the _whole_ world is HIM… Ville Valo is _so_ amazing." She sighed.

"Pah!" Skwisgaar spat, ruining the trance. "HIM is dildos. Nothing's buts a bunch of crysbabies, all mushed togethers from Finland, singings abouts goils and playings de grandpas guitars. Psssht… pathetic."

Karina frowned. He had shot her dignity…

"Well, you gotch tcho admit, he doesh shing a lot about death… zhat's pretty brutal if you ashk me."

"Murderface, what the hell are you talking about?" interrupted Nathan's gruff voice. "HIM is like, the ultimate disgrace to all metal. It's not metal to sing about chicks leaving you for someone else. Alright? That, you know, portrays the image that you're weak."

"Ja," Skwisgaar laughed, "weaks like little goils."

Toki looked over to Karina with an apologetic frown. Karina pouted. This was no time to tease her so.

"Well, you know, back in L.A. before they got real big, they used to fly over and play a few concerts here and there. I've actually talked to their keyboardist, Burton… You know, he ain't that bad." Pickles shrugged. He had saved the negativity.

"No, no, I mean, I'm not saying the guys are bad, you know? Just their music. Their music is awful."

It wasn't a surprise to Karina that they had some form of connection with HIM, even though it was out of character for them. After all, they were Dethklok: the seventh largest economy on Earth.

"Well, whatsever. I takes Karina shoppings now. Goodbye," Toki said impatiently.

"Wait wait wait, what do you mean by 'take her shopping'?" Nathan questioned, not quite fond with the idea of taking her out in public, let alone making a public appearance after last night. Anything could happen. "You don't plan on going out in public do you?"

Toki rolled his eyes and huffed. "Yeahs. Gots any more questions?"

"No, actually, I don't. Just be careful, I guess. And don't, you know, do anything werid. You have your cellphone?"

"Yeah."

After leaving the boys alone in the recording room, and after Karina had shaken and brushed her wet hair, her and Toki arrived to one of the automobiles parked outside of Mordhaus. There was still much more of this place to be seen. Karina noticed tall, rather eerie, buildings surrounding the mansion. "What are all those?" Karina asked pointing her fingers to the several towers.

"Oh. That's wheres the Klokateers live." Toki looked down, then back up again, seemingly embarrassed. "Umm… ams you have your driver's license?"

It turned out that one of the Klokateers had to chauffeur them. Why was Karina supposed to have a license, if she didn't even have a car to drive? Toki requested they go to the mall, so they would have an endless selection of clothes to choose from.

Meanwhile, back at Mordhaus, the rest of Dethklok still remained in the recording room, with the added company of Ofdensen. He began to pressure them again on how if they didn't begin to start thinking of ideas for their third album, they would begin to lose all of their money. No money meant no booze, Ofdensen explained to them.

"Whatch do you mean we're shupposhed to be working on tche new album? Toki ishn't even here."

"Yes, I know, but still, you need to start considering ideas for the new record… You know how your fans react when they don't get what they expect… where is Toki, anyway?"

"Out shopping with his girlfriend." Pickles didn't even bother to look up from the magazine on the latest updates and gossip of his former band "Snakes N' Barrels."

Ofdensen raised his brow, both of irritation and slight curiosity. "I'm sorry, _girlfriend_ you say?"

"Nah, not exactly. He took Karina shopping for new clothes." Pickles slammed the magazine down onto the floor with a loud bellow of frustration. "God dammit!" Pickles kicked the table and sat back down, crossing his arms.

"What, uh, seems to be the problem?"

"Dude, Snakes N' Barrels got a new frontman, again!"

"Pickles, you are aware that you still don't hold the name 'Snakes N' Barrels'. That band no longer belongs to you."

"Yeah I know, but that still really pisses me off, you know? It's like, what if Dethklok got a new frontman and just forgot about Nathan?"

"Well, I can assure you, that won't happen unless everyone in the band votes against it."

"Hey hey, wait a second," interrupted Nathan while still skimming through the chip bag, "how many of you dicks want to kick me out as lead singer of Dethklok?"

No one said anything.

"Well, Nathan, that's not the point. That's actually not at all what I'm trying to get at here." Ofdensen began to get frustrated with the band's simple one-track minds.

"Dude, we all still want you in the band," Pickles spoke first. "No one said anything about kicking you out."

"Ja's, we alls wants de bands to haves yous in its."

"Lemme jusht put zhish out zhere. Dethklok would shuck without you, Nathan." Murderface looked around at the rest of the boys. "Notch in a gay way or anytching…"

"Okay, so that's everyone except… hmmm… seems like I'm forgetting someone here…"

"Ahhhs, you means Toki?"

"Yeah, yeah! Damn, why do I always keep forgetting that guy?" Nathan set the chip bag on the table in front of him, which was out of line for having come into contact with Pickles's foot. "So I have everyone's vote except Toki." Nathan balled his left hand into a fist. "Only then will I have peace of mind about everyone wanting me to stay in Dethklok."

Ofdensen merely watched and listen. He could only take so much ignorance in a certain amount of time. "Just get to thinking about that record, okay?" Ofdensen raised from his chair. "I'm, uh, leaving now."

Meanwhile…

"Ooohs, Karina, what's about this one?"

"Too drab. What about that grey one right there?"

"Nahs. Toos depressing."

Karina giggled. Fashion tastes? Was Toki not as dark and brutal as he claimed to be after all?

Toki held up a bright pink shirt. Karina was stunned at his selection. It had little ruffles at the bottom and on the sleeves. It was… cute.

"Ooohs! Do you likes this ones?"

Karina smirked at his enthusiasm. "Do you?"

"Umm," Toki said nervously, "It's okay for girls." His cheeks turned a bright pink.

Karina took the shirt from his hand and grinned. He had already bought her almost a whole wardrobe. He had the money, and didn't care a bit to spend it. He barely spent it for himself, anyway.

"I think this is enough," Karina insisted. She didn't want him spending too awful much, especially on her.

"You sure?" asked Toki. "Nathan's not too crazies about the ideas of makings a public appearance. This may be the last time we goes for a while."

"I'm sure. Honestly." Karina smiled and looked over at the shopping cart overloaded with clothes. Pants, shirts, and shoes of all kinds overflowed off the sides. "You didn't have to do this."

"Well you saids you wanted more clothes, and you didn'ts have enoughs time to pack more before you left. So I bought you somes." Toki smiled thoughtfully. Karina simpered at his compassion. For once, someone treated her as a normal girl. She wondered if he'd think the same once he found out what she had done in the shadows of her life.


	7. Facing the Fire

Toki and Karina had gotten into the vehicle, much larger than all the rest, outside in the mall parking lot. There was no questioning that they had made a scene. Not only was the car a ridiculous size and color of maroon and black with glowing lights, but this was Toki Wartooth, the rhythm guitarist of Dethklok. After the Klokateers loaded all of the bags into the trunk compartment, they began to pull out. It was quit difficult considering its size, which only caused a bigger scene. Karina felt so out of place.

"Man, I'm startings to get the hungries." Toki's stomach growled.

After a discussion of where and what to eat, and whether or not they should wait until they got home, Toki and Karina settled on an old Italian restaurant. Karina glanced out the window to see the passing trees. Sometimes she forgot that she was the one moving, not the world. "We'll probably pass by my old neighborhood, if your employees don't take the interstate."

"Ooohs! Whats was it likes?"

"Well," Karina looked out the glass again, "it was dark. It's pretty old, there are a lot of little old houses everywhere. They all look the same; worn, outdated, and dirty. It's just a little town, nothing but an old convenient store and a couple of streets and avenues." She really wished she'd forgotten all the details.

Toki leaned up to talk to the two Klokateers; one driving and the other one in the passengers seat in case of an emergency situation. "I orders you to go to's the restaurant throughs this town at once," Toki said pointing beyond the interstate exit.

"But my lord, it would be quicker to-"

"I saids just do's it!" Toki sat back down and looked at Karina. "I wants to see this neighborhoods of yours."

It was awkward, but Karina insisted she get out and show Toki the front of her old house. The only thing that worried her was the possibility of her father being home. He had no job, after all. The government paid for the small house he lived in.

As she approached the neighborhood, Karina began to feel more and more nervous. She had continuous flashbacks of her brutal past with her father. It was the familiar sights of the worn down town that brought these painful memories back.

_It was a hot day outside of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and the asphalt was hot on the bare feet of four-year-old Karina Paaladen._ _"Mommy! Mommy, look what I found in the grass!"_

_"Awh, honey you found a baby turtle!" The warm kind face of a slender young woman smiled upon the innocent little girl playing out in the yard in her red and white checkered sundress. Her flowing brown hair waved in the wind as she knelt down to inspect the small reptile._

_"Can go I show Daddy, now?"_

_The smile on the woman faded. She looked to the ground, then back up at her daughter. "Daddy's still busy. Why don't you go set the turtle on the porch and I'll go get him, so he can see."_

_"Okay!" Karina ran off caressing the young turtle in both hands toward the front porch. It wiggled and squirmed to get away rather than hiding in its shell. Her mother walked in through the open screen door. Inside, her father sat on his knees at the coffee table. He sniffed._

_The woman crossed her arms. "You could really do us a favor by participating in this family, instead of sitting in this dump all day… sitting there with your drugs…"_

_A heavier man turned around and looked at her. His hair looked to be falling out. "Why? This family don't do a damn thing anyway. You just sit there with your little happy-go-lucky attitude, when you know that this place is a shit hole."_

_"Then why don't you get up and do something about it? Forget the drugs; get a job! We can get a nicer house, and maybe, just maybe, Karina can go to college and make something great of herself."_

_But every job attempts he had, he had failed his drug tests. All of them._

_"I don't need to do a god damn thing."_

_"Well can you at least come out here and look at what your daughter found. She tries so hard, Richard. She tries so hard to impress you, and you just shove her away."_

_"Ain't my fault. I never saw it commin'. If I knew I was gonna have a kid, maybe I would act different."_

_She crossed her arms and looked hurtfully at him. "You would act different? So this is how it is? Just because she was a surprise means that you won't care as much for her?"_

_Richard stood up. "Where's the brat? And hurry it up, this buzz is starting to wear off."_

_The woman glared at him in disgust. She threw the kitchen towel at him to wipe off the white ring around his nostril. "Clean yourself up before you see her."_

_Outside, Karina could hear her parents talking. But after a minute, it started to get louder. And louder. Until they were finally outside on the porch with her._

_"Daddy!"_

_"God dammit, woman, I told you I already paid the fucking electricity bill!"_

_"Daddy, look!"_

_"Then why did the power just shut off? Everyone around us has power except us! I found the bill laying on the kitchen table! You haven't touched it!"_

_"Daddy, look what I found!"_

_"I SWEAR YOU ARE THE BIGGEST FUCKING MISTAKE OF MY LIFE, SIIRI!"_

_"Daddy? Daddy!"_

_Richard turned around to Karina. "WHAT? What? What the fuck do you want? I'm right here! What?"_

_"Richard!" Siiri huffed._

_"Daddy, look at my turtle!"_

_"A turtle? Are you fucking serious? You brought me out here to show me a-" Richard smacked the baby turtle out of Karina's hand. It tucked in it's shell in mid air and landed in the yard, "- FUCKING turtle?"_

_Karina began to cry. She began to run over to her mother when her father grabbed the back of her neck. His stubby fingers pressed hard into her. She groaned in pain as tears rolled off her nose. "I don't want to hear that shit!" he said as he pressed her to the ground and began beating on her rump and her back. Siiri cried out. "Straighten up!" Richard had screamed at Karina._

_Siiri could see the passerby's in the neighborhood stop and ponder at this commotion. Some even pointed fingers. She collapsed on the porch and sobbed as her daughter was helplessly beaten in front of her own eyes._

_After Richard had finished torturing his daughter, he walked up to Siiri and slapped her once in the face. She said nothing. She only cried harder. She held her cheek and crawled over to her wailing daughter as Richard sped off in his old rusty white truck. They could hear the burning rubber as he took off down the street. Siiri could only hold Karina and hope there was a better life ahead, somewhere…_

After a little while longer of driving through the streets, Karina had spotter her house. It was obvious it was not taken care of. The grass was high, and there were brown algae stains on the white painted walls. She could see a window was cracked that led into the living room. There were also soda cans laying about in the yard. "Yep… this is definitely the place," she had said out loud. It took a moment to regain herself. She sighed.

Toki looked over at Karina. He knew what she must have been feeling; having to go and face her past once again. "We don'ts have to do this, Karina," Toki said in a low voice. His expression saddened.

"No. It's alright. I think after telling you all that last night, you should see. I mean, after all you've told me, you know?" Karina sighed again. She closed her eyes for a moment. "But I have a secret… a secret I've never told you."

"We don'ts haves to get out of the car. We cans just stays here and looks at your house from the insides."

"No." She opened the car door. "Come on."

The tension grew as the two of them stepped outside and closer to the house. Karina stopped at the sidewalk. "This is where I grew up, Toki." She was frozen; expressionless, like a zombie. "This is… home."

"You means this _was_ homes." Toki looked at her. He frowned. "Are you sures you ams okay?"

After taking a deep breath through her nose for a moment, Karina finally responded. "Yeah. I'm alright. Let's go."

The two of them stepped even closer to the house, beyond the sidewalk. Her heart began to race. They were officially on the legal property of the house. The grass itched at Karina's ankles. It hadn't been cut in weeks. They were interrupted by a loud slam, which caused them to jump and look straight to the door. "What the hell are you doing here? I thought I ran you out of here. You know I can't fucking afford to have _you_ around."

This is exactly what she'd hoped not to happen…

"For your information, I hope you know you left me out on the streets to fend for myself."

"You're eighteen. You're pathetic; can't even fend for yourself…"

He was still the same, Karina thought. Overweight, uncleanly, and incredibly burnt out. And those eyes, those beady eyes; she couldn't even stand to look at him. He was disgusting; repulsive.

"What; and you are? The government pays for your fucking house, because you can't afford to do it yourself. You can't even survive unless you have food stamps. You're the one who's fucking pathetic."

Toki began to get a little nervous. His eyes wandered, as they normally did when he felt uncomfortable. "Uhs, maybe we shoulds gets going, Karina…"

"Why don't you just shut the fuck up? And who's this you're whoring around with? Another one of those guys you picked up from the gig? You make me sick."

"No. This happens to be the rhythm guitarist from Dethklok; they're kind of a big deal, if you MUST know."

"Exactly. Another gig. When are you going to grow up, Karina? You're starting to remind of your bitch of a mother; sat around on her ass all day, thinking everything will get better. Well guess what; life is only gonna get worse. Look at you; already sleeping around with another one!"

"But, I never-"

"YOU SHUT THE HELL UP! You know what? Get the fuck off my property. You don't belong to me no more. I don't even wanna see you across town. You disgust me. You're a worthless little tramp who can't even take life as it comes. Fuck off. And if I ever catch you snooping around these parts again, I'll fucking kill you. You're not my daughter. You're garbage." Richard slammed the door, which was barely hanging on its hinges.

He was the same as ever. Her cheeks turned red. The adrenalin began to rush through her veins, causing her heart to beat faster. Her face soured as she growled. Her breathing began to become heavier...

Toki walked up behind Karina. Now he knew. He could see her shoulders shake, and hear her heavy breathing from where he stood. He was tempted to touch her, but held himself back from doing so.

The Klokateers still waiting on the side of the street…

"Comes on, Karina. Let's gets out of here."

"No," Karina responded. She began to run toward the steps to the front porch when Toki grabbed her hand. His large hand wrapped all the way around her tiny wrist. "Toki, let go."

"Karinas, you's get yourself hurt if you goes over there!"

Karina struggled to break free. "Did you not see what he just sat there and said? I'll give him a fucking piece of my mind! Let-" Karina yanked her wrist out of Toki's hand, "- go!" Toki was left stunned as Karina ran up the stoop. She struggled to open the fragil door, but it was locked. She pounded on the metal frame. "TRASH? YOU LISTEN TO ME! I'LL GET FARHTER THAN YOU'VE EVER GONE, YOU SON OF A BITCH! HEAR ME OUT! I'LL FUCKING KILL _YOU_, YOU FAT TUB OF SHIT!" Karina screamed and slammed her fist against the door. She was interrupted by Toki's arms wrapping around her shoulders. He fought to pull her off the porch. Karina finished her tantrum by kicking a hole through the screen. "Fuck you!" she screamed to her father inside the house. She began to bawl. Toki wrapped himself tighter as he helped her down the steps. Once they reached the bottom, she grabbed Toki's shoulders and pressed her face against him. She sobbed. Toki barely set his hands on her, for he was in shock. He'd never experienced anything like this before.

Another loud bang was heard from the door. It was Richard, only he was more furious than he was before. He stormed out of the front doorway and off the steps to approach his sobbing daughter. Toki tried to step in front of her, but Richard put his hand on him and shoved him away. He grabbed Karina's wrist with one hand and her face with the other. He squeezed her face hard, digging his fingernails into her skin. "Don't you _ever_ fucking do that again, bitch! You understand me?" He drew his arm back and slapped her face. She cried out. "You're just like your mother!"

"My lord! Do I need to kill this man?" shouted one of the Klokateers from the vehicle. If it was Dethklok who was getting brutally abused, it would be a whole different story.

Toki said nothing. His eyes were wide in shock. This abuse was all too familiar. He began to tremble. If he had his choice, he would have killed him himself. But he was frozen stiff. The memories all came back to him in a flash, all at once. It was too much for him to bear.

Richard punched Karina as he held her wrist up in the air. He slung her on the ground and kicked her head. Karina's nose began to bleed. Slowly, she faded out of consciousness. Toki wailed in fear.

"God damn bitch!" Richard screamed one last time, finishing with a final blow to the head. He walked up the steps and turned around to Toki. He pointed at Karina, out of breath and sweating. "Better get her. She'll probably die." He closed the broken door.

It wasn't until after Richard was gone until Toki finally snapped back into his senses. "Ooohs! Oh no! Karina's! Karina are you's alright?" Toki began to panic. He ran over to her laying on the ground. As soon as the Klokateers saw what was happening, they ran out of the vehicle over to where she lay.

One of the Klokateers knelt down overtop of her. "Mistress! M' lady, can you hear me?" There was no respond. The hooded man looked up at Toki. "She's unconscious. She may have a concussion."

Toki trembled. He hated himself. He simply hated himself for not stopping it when he had the chance. He reminded himself of his own mother, sitting there watching him suffer, horribly…

"My lord, should I kill this man?" asked one of the Klokateers again.

Toki was silent for a moment. "No. If anyone's goings to kills this man, it ams going to be me."

"As you wish. Should we escort her to the hospital in Mordland?"

Toki looked down. This was all his fault… "No's. Just takes her home. I take care of the rest."

The Klokateers and Toki, with an unconscious Karina in his arms, stepped inside the vehicle.

"Takes us home at once. Hurry," said Toki. He rested her head on his lap and wiped the blood from her nose with his shirt. He looked down at Karina. It looked as if she were sleeping. "This ams all my fault. I shoulds have saved you, but I didn't. I'm scareds like little chickens…" he whispered to her, talking as though she could hear him. "I shoulds have never have tolds them to goes to your house. I'ms sorry…" Toki's eyes glistened. He pulled out his dethphone and dialed Nathan's number. It rang… and rang… and rang…

_"Hello?"_

"Oh! Nathans! Nathan, this is horribles!"

_"What? Toki, what's wrong?"_

Toki talked in a rush. "I takes Karina shoppings and thens we goes to eat buts on the way we stops at her old house and her fathers and her fathers is very means and they starts fightings and he hits her and he takes her to the grounds and kicks her and punches her and-"

_"Woah! Toki, slow down!"_

"Karina's unconsciousness!"

_"Is she okay?"_

"I don'ts knows, Klokateer saids she may haves a con-scut-sion!"

_"Well are you taking her to the hospital? Concussions are serious, Toki."_

"No's! I don'ts knows! I takes care of it myself!"

_"Toki, you can't take care of a concussion by yourself. You have to let a doctor do that. A concussion is in your brain."_

One of the Klokateers looked back to Toki. "My lord, we are approaching Mordland."

There was no doubt that as soon as the car pulled into its proper parking space in front of Mordland, Ofdensen was the first one to run out of the building. "What the hell is going on here?"

Toki sobbed. "It's all my faults!"

Ofdensen looked down to see Karina hanging from Toki's arms, not moving. Her nose continued to bleed. "Alright, get this girl to the hospital immediately. If she has a concussion and we let her sit to long, she could die."

"Right away, sir," said the Klokateer. He grabbed Karina right out of Toki's arms.

"Heys, what's ams they doings with her?" Toki shouted.

"They're taking her to the hospital, Toki. You don't want her to die, do you?" replied Ofdensen.

"But whys cant's I do's it? It's all my faults she like this in the first place!"

"Because Toki, these Klokateers are trained to specialize in situations like this. These are the men who have saved you from death countless times." Ofdensen eyes Toki suspiciously as the Klokateers rushed to the hospital. "Mind explaining to me what happened?"

It took several minutes for Toki to rationally explain to Ofdensen that he'd let the Klokateers take her to her old house in the back alleys. He didn't get into much detail of how abusive her dad reacted toward her. He simply said he'd kicked her in the head, and she'd fallen unconscious. He'd emotionally kept the rest to himself.

"Well what I don't get is why you were outside the premises in the first place. You should know better than to make a public appearance, especially with a woman. You could get her killed. _You_ could get killed," Ofdensen had explained to him, and tried to tell him about the unpredictable reactions of his fans.

"I know… I'ms sorry." Toki sighed and looked at his toes. "Well since she's goings to die, I guess I'll be in my room." He began to walk away.

"No one said she was going to die, Toki. I said she _could_ die, if we left her unattended."

"So you means… she ams goings to live?"

"Well, no one said that, either. We'll just have to wait it out. If you want, you can go invite the rest of your band mates to go to the hospital with you. But I can't garuntee she'll be awake to see you."

"Ohs, you means it?" Toki grinned.

"Yes, um, I do. I mean it."

"Oh, wowee! Oh, I go tells Nathans, Murderface, Skwisgaar, and Pickle!"

Toki arrived in the recording room where they remained. "No," the room rumbled in unison.

"Oh, whys not?"

"It's just, I don't know… kinda awkward, you know?" Nathan lied.

"Yeah… and we're kinda busy, so uhh… if you can just say hi for us…" Pickles added.

"Oh, comes on, guys!

Murderface leaned over to Skwisgaar and spoke in a low, almost incomprehensive voice. "Hey, uh, whatch d'ya shay we uh… go shee Karina, zhen maybe zhat robot will getch off our backs about tche new album."

"Ooohs, great ideas, Moiderface. Umms, Toki. We would like to goes with you to sees Karina, bleedings miserably in de hospitals."

The rest of the band surprisingly caught on. "Yeah," the rest said.

"Ooohs, this ams great! Oh, Karina will love this!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Let's just hurry up and go." Pickles opened up a bottle of beer before the run. He seemed to could have not waited until after.

The band of Dethklok was escorted securely to the Mordland hospital. One of the hooded nurses showed them to Karina's room, where she lay on the bed, already dressed in scrubs, and looked over to them. The band cringed. But Toki sat still. He frowned.

The doctor walked in with his medical papers and the CT scan results. He flipped through them. "It appears she has no concussion, but she did take a severe blow to the head and nose. I uh, offered to press charges against this man, but she said denied my request. But even though her CT scan results show to sign of a concussion or any kind of bleeding, you should still make sure she doesn't go to sleep for at least another twelve hours, just to play it save. Mmkay?"

"Will do. Thank you, doctor," said Ofdensen. Why he came along also, no one knew.

Toki, without question, was the first one to arrive at her bedside. He knelt down to be eye level with her. "Ohs Karina, this ams all my faults you're like this. I promise to never take you near thats horrible place again." Toki put his hands on his face. "This ams all my fault…" he said again.

"No Toki, it's my fault. I wanted to take you there. If anything, I'm the one to blame. At least I don't have anything severely wrong."

"Yeah." The fact didn't seem to cheer him up much. "I gots to get somethings to eats now... I'm starving." Toki sighed and rose from his squatting position, and walked down the hallway to the snack machine. Karina frowned.

"Me, too," the rest of the band replied. All rose from their chairs in the back of the room but Pickles. He was too drunk and unaware.

"Why hey there, Karina… how's that head wound coming along?" Pickles slurred and almost lost balance. He smirked. His nose was almost as red as his hair.

"Fine?" Karina huffed. Well, this was awkward…

"So uh, ,what do you think they'll give you for that?"

"Don't know. Not a doctor. Why don't you ask them?"

"Maybe they'll give you some of that medical marijuana. You gotta promise to share, though."

Something in Karina's injured head clicked. "I'm sorry, what?"

Pickles shrugged. "What, you've never smoked pot before?"

Karina snorted. "Ha, are you kidding me? I grew up on that shit since I was thirteen. Don't think I'm so naive" She crossed her arms and looked out the window in her room, which had an overview of all of Mordland.

Pickles snickered. "Stoner, huh? Not bad," he said. He took another swig of the liquor he'd started on when they got into the waiting room. He nudged it to her in offer, but she shook her head in refusal. "You know somethin'… you gotta lot of bite. You've got kind of a 'fuck you' attitude, you know?"

"You're only saying that because you're drunk." Karina rolled her eyes.

"But you're also really nice, too. Don't act like such a hardass. I've seen you around the other guys. You're a sweetheart."

"Please, Pickles… I'm not in the mood." She remember the expression on Toki's face before he left. She seriously wanted to cry.

"Awwwl… is that the way to talk to the guy who saved your life? Come on, now… cooperate with me." Pickles sneered.

Karina sighed and looked at her knees, which were covered by bright white sheets. "Sorry, I just… can't get over what happened today." But for what? She'd been used to getting beat up, tortured, and yelled at her whole life. If anything, she should be happy. She finally let the emotional dam break on her father, all the anger and rage and grudges she had against him all flowed over top of him like a hate-filled typhoon. But the triumphant feeling was absent, either that or drowned out by the other mixed feelings about the situation.

"Awwwl, it's okay, hey, I understand." This was ridiculous. He could hardly talk. "You have a lot to think about… why don't you get some sleep- oh no, wait! I forgot! Never mind, don't do that! Stay awake!"

Karina tried to seem interested, but she just wasn't. Besides, he won't remember any of this tomorrow, anyway.

Karina looked over to the doorway. Toki had come in with a snack cake still in the wrapper. They were strawberry Zingers. He walked over to her bed, but avoided eye contact. "Heres. "I gots one with twos in it, incase you were hungry. They ams Zingers. They really good."

"No thanks, Toki. I kind of lost my appetite."

"You sures? You haven't eats nothings all day."

Karina had grown used to going hours and hours without a meal, for when she roamed the streets, food was scarce. The only time she had gotten to eat was when she earned money from gigs, or drugs.

Toki took the Zingers off the bed. "Okays. Two for me's, then." He got up and walked back over to a chair and sat sideways. He gazed blankly at the wall. Why was he so upset? She figured the news of her being perfectly fine would cheer him up a little, and not make him feel as guilty. But it only seemed to make him worse.

The doctor walked into Karina's room. "What do you say we get you home, huh?" He helped her rise from the thin uncomfortable bed.

After Karina had changed out of her scrubs and into her everyday clothes, she was escorted by Klokateers down to the main lobby where the car that had brought her over awaited her. Dethklok had gone somewhere out of her knowledge with Ofdensen. She arrived at Mordhaus and was accompanied by Klokateers until she reached the door. Then she was on her own. Where was Dethklok?

Dethklok had arrived on their own. It took a little while for them to finally show up. Karina was up in her room on the balcony with a cigarette, even though she knew it really wasn't the best thing for her right now. She sighed, smoke exiting her lungs as she did so. She heard footsteps and turned around to see Pickles.

"So… what'd they give you?"

"Just some pain medicine is all. I'm not allowed to consume any alcohol within the next 24 hours. And if I start using the bathroom on myself to give them a call. That's what they said." Karina flicked the ash from the end of her cigarette.

Pickles looked. "I didn't know you smoked."

"Well, what can you expect from someone coming from a family like that?"

Karina had a good point. Pickles smirked. "I know something that'll make most of the pain go away." He pulled out a small bag full of crushed green leaves. She knew what it was. "You still do it, right?"

Karina gazed at the bag for a minute, weighing out the pros and cons of smoking marijuana. It wasn't as bad as coke, but then again, it was still a drug. She reluctantly agreed to smoke a joint with Pickles.

"Alright," Pickles said enthusiastically. He pulled out the blunt wrap from his pocket and laid out the pot on the wide railing and began to separate it. It looked pretty pure, too. Not many stems or seeds. As he finished up rolling, he licked the end pf the paper and sealed the joint. "Light?" he asked Karina. She tossed him her pink lighter. He lit the end and inhaled, for a long time at that. He held his breath for a second, handing the joint to Karina. She could already smell it. Pickles let out his breath. She could see his eyes dilate as he did so.

Karina couldn't resist. She took a hit from the joint. It wasn't very big, but she still coughed a little as the smoke burned her lungs. She felt embarrassed. Pickles giggled. She could already feel the plant numbing her brain. Karina was silent.

"So uh, what else do you do?" Pickles asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You know… I mean, I know you smoke pot, obviously. What else do you do?"

Karina felt ashamed. She took the plastic bag she's already had in her jacket and tossed it at him. Pickles looked up at her after catching it. "Yeah, that's right." She looked down. Her face felt hot.

"Cocaine?" asked Pickles. "You know I did a lot of coke back in my day."

"Really? You're not just saying that so I won't look stupid?" Karina still didn't look at him.

"Yeah," Pickles said. He was already drunk. "In fact…" He opened the bag of cocaine and sprinkled a line of it next to the left over stems and seeds. "Wanna?" he asked.

Karina wasn't sure. She'd been feeling the urge all day to feel the powder shoot up her nose. She walked over to Pickles after the joint had already been smoked. Karina was high, along with Pickles. She knew they weren't in the right mindset. She smirked at him, her pupils almost covering all of the blue in her iris. She sprinkled a line of her own and her and Pickles both leaned down to inhale the drug.

"It's all my faults, it's all my faults," Toki repeated to himself. He sighed and put his hand on his head. He slid his hand down his face. "Okays. I just goes up to Karina's room and tells her how sorry I am. Then maybe she smile at me and say it's okay." Toki's heart beat faster as he built up the courage to walk down the hallway.

Toki felt that he could have prevented the situation tonight from happening. He failed at keeping her safe, he thought. He didn't want to make eye contact with her at the hospital, because her eyes were too forgiving. It didn't even faze Karina that it was at all his fault. She was nice… way too nice.

Toki began to walk to Karina's bedroom when he was stopped by Nathan, who appeared to have showed up out of nowhere. "Toki?"

"Whats?" He shouted. All the tension had gotten him a little jumpy. He put his hand over his chest. His heart felt like it was about to beat right out of his throat.

Nathan paused for a second. "… Do you want me out of the band as lead singer?"

"… No's, Nathan…"

"Kay, thanks." Nathan disappeared. Toki didn't even question this random situation. "Hey guys, I'm staying in Dethklok!" Toki heard Nathan say in the distance.

Once Toki had finally arrived at her room, he pushed on the door, which was only halfway closed. "Karinas, I'ms sorry I acted likes I was mad at yous in the hospitals. I'm not, I just feel like it's all my faults. I have all the time in the worlds to spends with you now-"

Pickles and Karina looked over at Toki, their red eyes beaming like burning coal. "Heeeeyyyyyy, Tokiiii!" Pickles slurred. He obviously wasn't aware of the situation.

Toki could see the white upon the grey railing. He wasn't stupid…

Karina stood still, silent, and unsure of what words to say. The shame, she thought. She had been caught, by the one person she hoped never would.

Toki immediately scowled. "So this ams your secrets, Karina? You lieds to me? I can'ts believe you! You told me you were sick, and that you needs medicine to helps you get better! Now I'ms starting to see the truth!" Toki turned his back and began to walk out of the room, furious.

Karina ran after him. "Toki, wait! Please! Let me explain everything to you! Toki, please!" Tears filled her dilated eyes. She may have been high, but she was well aware of what was going on… unlike Pickles.

Toki turned around, with the most angry, hurtful, and unforgettable expression on his face. "Shuts up!" he screamed. Karina jumped, as if the simple two words pierced her heart. She never wanted to see that face again… The tears began to fall. "I tell you the same thing I told Dr. Rockso, If you's goings to keep doing drugs, then I's be out of your lifes forev-"

"Wait a second, Dr. Rockso? You know that bastard?" Karina's fist balled. "I bet you even told him where I was, didn't you?"

"What the hells are you talkings about?"

"Just forget it, Toki! You can't accept me for who I am! And now I'm talking to a friend of the son of a bitch who tried to rape me!" Karina ran back into her room and buried her face into her bed, leaving Toki dumbfounded where he stood. Raped?

Toki let the anger ease and frowned. He could feel the burning of oncoming tears begin to sting his nose. The lump rose in his throat. He grimaced. But before he could let himself cry, he ran off into his room. The sound of a slamming door echoes throughout Mordhaus. It was so loud, even the remaining band members of Dethklok pondered it.

"Uhhh… should I leave?" Pickles asked, the best way he could. He staggered as he stood. But he didn't need a reply. The look on Karina's face said it all. He walked out of the bedroom, looking back once at her. He shut the door.

Karina buried her face into her pillow. She couldn't help but sob. Her black eyeliner stained her white pillow cases. What had she done? If she would have just said no to Pickles, none of this would have happened. In fact, everything would have been better. She felt like she was in middle school all over again, with talk of peer pressure and boy problems. But with Toki, she felt comfortable. She loved the way it felt. She felt happy to have finally found someone to relate to the same problems she had. No drug in the world could make her have the same feeling as that. But like all drugs do, they ruined it for her. She'd lost the only addiction she wanted to keep.


	8. Just Another Groupie

A few days passed since Karina was in and out of the hospital. A few days passed since her and Toki had their fight, too. With all the days in between, they hadn't spoke a word to each other. They would pass each other occasionally, but Karina would just continue to do her maid-like duties and chores. She would often catch herself doing Toki's laundry last, when he forgot to do them himself. When they would eat, Karina would sit on the far end opposite side of Toki. Not only Toki, but she barely said anything to the rest of the band, either.

On this day, a concert was scheduled. They will be going to Atlanta, Georgia tonight, so Mordland was pretty hectic this morning. Dethklok was restless, for they were pumped to get the show done, go to the bar, and have a couple of beers and shots of liquor. The Klokateers spend a majority of their time preparing the bus for Dethklok. Karina helped by mopping and vacuuming the floors.

"I love how you're so quiet," she heard a voice say. She turned around to see Pickles. He waved.

"Pickles, what are you doing in here? I'm kind of busy."

"Hey. I just wanted to apologize for the other night, you know?"

Karina didn't look up from sweeping the floor. "I guess."

"You know what'll cheer you up?" Pickles smiled. There was no answer. "You're welcome to come to Georgia with us."

"Pass." She said simply.

"Awwl, why? Because you're mad at Toki?"

Karina didn't say anything.

"You know, you two really need to work things out. He hasn't made many real friends in his life… except that Rockso guy. I actually hate that bastard. I don't consider him a real friend."

"Exactly." Karina sat the swiffer down and crossed her arms. She looked up at Pickles.

"Look. I'll go talk to him. But you've gotta promise me that when he finally comes around, you'll accept his apology. Seriously. You don't wanna hurt the little guy."

"Fine." Karina rolled her eyes.

"Pickles raised his eyebrow. "Promise?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sure." Karina sighed.

Pickles smiled. "Alright. Oh and uh, thanks for, you know, cleaning and stuff."

"Don't mention it," Karina said sarcastically.

Pickles giggled and walked off. What a hardass.

He approached Toki outside the bus, catching him in the middle of a handheld video game he was playing.

"Hey dude, uh, can I talk to you?"

"Whats, Pickle?" Toki was so absorbed in this game, that he didn't look up.

"Look man… I'm sorry, okay?"

"For whats?" He glanced at Pickles for a second but looked back down at the little screen, which showed guns blowing up space rocks.

"Look. I was the one who talked Karina into doing drugs the other night. I even offered her a swig of my Jaeger, but she didn't do it. I was drunk; I didn't know what the hell was going on. I'm surprised I even remembered that. She seemed a little emotionally damaged, you know, so I uh… smoked pot and did coke with her." He shrugged.

No matter how he worded it, it still hurt Toki's feelings. She had lied to him, and kept a secret from someone she trusted, but told someone she hardly even knew. What else was she keeping from him? "I don'ts care. Just leaves me alone. I don'ts cares about her anymore."

"Yeah you do. Toki, come on. Look, I know you're upset that she does drugs. But you gotta look at her; she's had a rough childhood, you know?"

"No's I don'ts! I's hads a rough childhoods too, but you don'ts sees me doing drugs!" Toki set his game down and looked at him angrily.

Pickles had to think of something to come back to Toki's remark. "That's bullshit, Toki. You smoke pot at almost every party we go to."

"So? Pot's different. And I didn'ts lie to her about it!"

Pickles huffed and rolled his eyes. "Look, all I'm asking is that you two work this out. I know that you two are fighting, but you can't keep doing this."

"Yeahs, I works it out with her… when she stops lyings!"

Pickles sighed. He laid it out to him straight. "Whatever. God. I'm sick of you two fighting. Either make up, or there's going to be problems. Got that?"

Toki rolled his eyes and didn't reply.

"That's what I thought." Pickles walked back onto the tour bus. "Sorry, Karina. Looks like you're going to have to work it out on your own."

Karina groaned. "Great."

"My lords, we are fixing to be leaving in approximately ten minutes," a Klokateer said to Pickles and Toki. Nathan, Murderface, and Skwisgaar eventually appeared, also. They had apparently slept in late. After all, it was almost nine o'clock. It was very early to them.

The ten minutes was spent getting Dethklok and their gear onto the bus, but it took fifteen to actually start moving. Toki and Karina had no choice but to be in the same enclosed space together.

Karina walked by Toki to pick something up that one of the band members had left on the floor. It was a potato chip bag. She knew without mistake who had left it there. Toki found himself glancing over at her a few times before he realized what he was doing. He huffed and crossed his arms.

Karina sniffed and took the potato chip bag in the kitchen to be thrown away. Yes, this bus had a kitchen. It was unbelievable to her, too.

There was silence for a few hours they had on the bus together, besides a few irrational random conversations the band seemed to spark up from their creative minds and the clicking of the keys from Murderface's laptop. Karina had slept almost the whole time on the couch in the same room as the band. She couldn't resist; the two-story fireplace was so warm. She could hear them talk about how glad they're getting a break from working on their new album when she faded in and out of sleep. But Toki stayed quiet. He wouldn't talk to them, either.

It was around five-thirty when the silence was totally broken. The Klokateers began preparing the gear for unloading onto the helicopter to prepare for Dethklok's grand appearance into Atlanta.

"So what's going on between you two anyway?"

No one said anything.

Nathan growled. "Hey. You should really answer when someone's talking to you!"

Pickles rolled his eyes. "Well you can at least enlighten us to who you're talking about before you ask someone a question."

"Oh yeah, right right, I'm sorry. I'm talking to Toki, and uh… that girl."

Karina rolled her eyes and huffed. "Karina," she had said. She hated repeating her own name to someone who should already know it by now.

"Oh, yeah. Darn it, I keep forgetting. I think it's these potato chips… But yeah, uh, hey, what's the deal between you two, you know? I mean you two were so cool with each other the first day."

Again, no one said anything. Both Karina and Toki simply looked away from each other with their arms crossed.

"I'm sorry, maybe I'm crazy, but I had this weird idea that it might be rude to not answer someone when they're talking to you." Nathan scowled.

Karina sighed in frustration. "Then why don't you ask him?" she said pointing to Toki.

"Me's? You's the one that lies about everything!"

These were the first words spoken to each other in days. At least it was something. It was better than the silent treatment.

"Oh, I lie about everything? Why don't you explain your connection with Dr. Rockso? I bet you only pretended to care so you can tell him where I am. In that case, I quit! Looks like it's back to living on the streets, because I know you're _dying_ for me to leave!"

"Oh, wait wait wait, hold on a second! You can't quit! Who's going to put little toothpicks with the pom-poms on top in our sandwiches? Jean Pierre never did that for us!" exclaimed Nathan, seeming to not be too happy with the idea of Karina quitting her job as a maid.

"Ja… I actually likes dat… I uh…" Skwisgaar lowered his head and frowned, beginning to feel bad for not giving her a chance upon her first appearance. "I'ms sorry."

"Karina, if you left… who will sheparate my underwear and shocksh by zhere colorsh? Sho thoughtful…"

"You'll find someone _else_. You're _Dethklok_; there's _billions_ of fans out there who would _kill_ to have my job. And a lot more of them would do better than me. Just drop me off in Atlanta somewhere." Karina uncrossed her arms and began to stand up.

"Karina, wait. Don't quit. Just because you and Toki are fighting means you're gonna leave Mordhaus forever? That's pretty immature. It's just stupid," added Pickles.

Karina frowned. "I don't know. I guess it's because I never got a warm welcome when I first came here." Now everything was different; it was Toki giving her the cold shoulder, not the rest of the band.

"Well, what do you want, you know? Tea and crumpets? We can't direct our attention to you above everything. I mean, you do work here, and we have our minds on a lot of other things," replied Pickles.

Karina looked to the side with an uneasy frown. "Well…"

"Goods! Goes aheads and leave! Goes and moves back in with your fathers! Because you knows how greats _that'll_ turn out! Sees ya!"

This brought immediate tears to her. But these weren't tears of sadness. These were tears of hate. "Don't ever fucking say that again!"

Toki stopped himself before he could go any further. He knew he shouldn't have said what he did. His heart skipped a beat as soon as those words exited his mouth. He knew now he had messed up as he watched Karina approach him. She stood before him. He paused at this familiar scene. His eyes widened and immediately squinted, preparing for impact…

But Karina just stood there in front of him; her tear-filled eyes interlocked his. But she didn't hit him. She merely grimaced and shoved him. Toki knew not to fight back. He glared down in shame. But then he looked back up at her. "You lieds to me, Karina…"

"How did I lie to you, Toki? Huh?" Karina stopped herself from crying.

"Because… you saids you neededs your medicine when you's become anxious. I know your secret, Karina. You can'ts hides it from me's anymore." Toki frowned and sighed. "You shoulds have just tolds me."

"Why? So you could judge me before you got a chance to know me?"

"I feels like… I don't knows you anymore."

Silence filled the room. "This is actually getting pretty good," Nathan whispered to Pickles. He nodded. Nathan nudged the bag of potato chips over to Pickles. He gladly accepted.

Karina had nothing to say. She did lie to him, without realizing it. Now she knew how much it hurt him. "I hates you, Karina. I hates you for the drugs hidings the truth."

Karina winced at the words. "I know," was all she said.

Ofdensen walked into the main lobby of the bus. They had apparently stopped in Atlanta. But no one noticed the arrival because they were either wrapped up in conversation, or too busy intensely watching the conversation. "Umm… gentlemen, are we not coming along?"

"Coming to where?" asked Nathan, a little aggravated that the drama was interrupted by Ofdensen's appearance.

Ofdensen raised his brow. "Outside; to Atlanta. We're in Georgia, now. How could you not have known that?"

"Oh, sorry, we were just uh, watching these two fight; got kinda wrapped up, you know… pretty good."

"Well, try not to let this bother you emotionally; at the concert, anyway," reassured Ofdensen to Toki. "We can't afford to uh, destroy another concert."

"Ohs, don'ts worry." Toki glared at Karina. Karina frowned. "It won'ts."

Karina realized what she had done. She would apologize to him after he was done playing. She didn't want to put the stress on him now.

The concert started at around eight, but the billions of fans crowded into the stadium at around six-thirty. The helicopter dropped Dethklok off in a large steel box, but landed in the crowd rather than the designated 'X' it was meant to land on. Around a hundred fans were smashed under the several-ton box. Karina began to panic at the un-reactive Dethklok. They didn't care?

She watched from back stage as the front of the box dropped open and landed on yet another few hundred fans. She winced. There was no way she was going down there now.

Despite the blood and death, she was amazed of the many people crammed into a single area. "How are you jack-offs doing out there?" Nathan asked his fans. The crowd went insane. They actually responded to that?

"Go forth," said Nathan. He appeared angry. "Go forth and die!"

The music began. Karina couldn't understand what he was saying from the angle she was standing. She didn't care.

"_Trapped inside a box,  
Four long years,  
Hiding from the world,  
Punished by your peers,_

Studied teachers words,  
Staff appointed hearts,  
Earned a piece of paper,  
Now go forth and start,

Go forth, Be conquered,  
Go forth and die,

Now you've graduated,  
Mind is mutilated,  
Thrust into the world,  
Feeling segregated,  
Move in with your parents,  
Back into the dark,  
Landed where you started,  
Bachelor of Arts,

The learning starts now...  
Open up your textbooks and turn to the,  
Chapter concerning your _**DETH,**___

Night sky,  
Bleeds red,  
Black birds,  
Bring _**DETH**__…"_

As the song continued, Karina could see all the women gather up in front of the stage, all having a Dethklok-related shirt on. One of them read "Explode Me." But the shirts were quickly removed as then all flocked to Nathan with bare breasts. The band didn't seem to care. Usually, men that she grew up around would let their hormones overreact to their bodies and fall head over heels for seductive women. But they were probably just so used to it. "Marry me, Nathan!" she heard one fan scream above all the rest.

It wasn't long until the concert was over. That was the thing about Dethklok concerts; everyone will gather in one space throughout the world to see them play, but they normally play up to three songs, if the fans are lucky. They sure had a lot of dedicated fans, despite the way Dethklok treated them.

The band began to come back stage. They concert couldn't have lasted about thirty minutes. They spent more time setting up than performing. Now they were going to have to clean up all the equipment and reload them for the next concert. Through all the commotion, Karina began to seek out Toki to apologize like she had planned before. She found him, but not in the state she wanted. He was with another girl. _Holding hands_ with another girl. She frowned.

She wanted to walk over and stick to the original plan, but she stopped herself. She couldn't let his new girl friend (not technically girlfriend) see her… then that will spark a whole new series of drama, only with her involved. She was a pretty young girl from what she could see; light blonde hair and a thin waist, large breasts, and high heels that elevated her to eye-level with him. And her clothes were certainly revealing...

Toki looked over at Karina for a moment, but scowled and pressed the girl into the wall with a smirk, whispering into her ear and softly biting the end of her lobe. She giggled and pulled his head closer into her, where his lips gently rubbed the bottom of her neck. "Mmm, Toki," she moaned. Karina snorted and crossed her arms. Now she didn't even want to apologize. She wanted to stab both of them in the eye.

Everyone was rushed to the tour bus by the Klokateers after the band met up with each other and gathered. Of course, Toki brought his new friend along with him. Because of the concert, and the random socialization of the band and their groupies, Dethklok spent the night in Atlanta in their furnished tour bus. It was like a house on wheels, Karina thought. The band gathered in the main lobby. She felt as if she were merely tagging along now.

After a few minutes passed, she managed to spark up conversation with Nathan and Murderface while Skwisgaar and Pickles were busy mingling with their "friends" upstairs. Skwisgaar certainly had an old-school selection of the ladies. But Toki, of all places, decided to stay downstairs with Murderface and Nathan, along with his… friend. They sat on a couch that was the farthest distance from the rest of the group. They were starting to get heavy with each other, right in the middle of everyone. It looked like they were trying to suck each others' faces off, Karina thought. He simply couldn't keep his hands off her. And why blame him, Karina asked herself. She _was_ beautiful.

"Mmmh, I bet you're so hard right now, aren't you?"

"Ooohs, you knows it." Toki groaned and grabbed her waist.

"Baby, why don't we go upstairs and play around?" she purred and nipped at his bottom lip.

"Uhh," Toki glanced over to Karina real quick, fast enough for neither of them to notice, "Let's just stays downs here a little bits more," he said as he kissed her.

The girl pulled away. "But why?" she asked. "We've been making out and teasing each other for like, an hour." She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled his face closer to hers. "Let's go get nasty, babe."

It was indeed tempting, but he wanted to make Karina suffer as much as she possibly could. He_ knew_ it killed her, to see him with another girl that he really liked; even though she put on the front that it didn't. He hoped, anyway. This is what she deserved, he thought. He lunged at the girl, putting her back against the couch beneath him. They moaned. He kissed her roughly. Just what she deserved…

Karina rolled her eyes. "Umm, excuse me," she had finally said.

Murderface groaned in disgust. "Oh, come on!"

"Yeah really, Toki. Please, have some decency and go up to your room… or something," said Nathan, just as appalled as the rest of them.

The girl and Toki looked at each other and giggled. He picked her up and carried her to the staircase before he looked back at Karina. He glanced for a moment "Let's go, already," she said to him, and then he carried her upstairs to his room.

"God, don't you hate that?" asked Nathan.

"Yeah, it'sh uh…not decent… to schit zhere and act like zhat, it'sh-it'sh… inappropriate," Murderface agreed.

"Yeah, but normally it's Skwisgaar or something, you know… I mean Toki never has girls over." Nathan looked at Karina. "Well, you know… not usually."

Karina stood up. She scowled "That bastard!" she shouted.

Nathan and Murderface gasped. "Karina… zhat'sh no way tcho talk about him."

"No, I mean, I know what he's doing!"

"What do you mean you know what he's doing? He's got a groupie, you know? It's not uncommon-"

"No, Nathan, you don't understand. He's trying to get back at me for lying to him. He actually thinks that bothers me?"

The room was silent. "Well, um, you did lie to him…" Nathan added quietly.

"That's not the point." Karina huffed in frustration. "Look, just watch him. He was sitting there like a sore thumb, groping that little… little… _slut_ of his."

Murderface gasped. "You don'tch call women bad wordsh!"

"Well, uh, technically she can, cause uh… she's a woman, too."

"Tell me if that's not spite," Karina added, ignoring Murderface's comment. "He expects me to fall for that little mind trick of his. And he'll probably keep doing it until he knows I can't take it anymore. Well he can sit there and play his little game all he wants, because I'm not falling for it." She sat up and stormed off to her room that she'd picked out on the bus.

"Wow… really tore her up," said Nathan.

_"No it didn't!"_ he had heard Karina say from the distance.

"Ahhh, jusht let her go, Nathan… let her undergo her emotional state. Can'tch you shee she's in pain?"

_"No, I'm not!"_

"Ahh, she'll be alright," Murderface concluded.

The remaining two became silent. "… Boy, I need to get more friends," said Nathan.

Karina slammed her door. "You think you're so great, don't you, Toki? Playing that little charade of yours…" She jumped on her bed, much smaller than the one she had back at Mordhaus. She crossed her arms behind her head and gazed up at the ceiling.

_"Mmmh, harder Toki, harder!"_

_ "I'ms goings as fast as I coulds!"_

Karina put her pillow around her ears. She could even hear the squeaking of the cheap mattress. "Shut up!" she shouted and kicked the wall. Of course, it did no good. If anything, it got louder. She groaned. She at least wanted sleep. At least the girl wasn't going to be there forever… right?

She groaned at the thought. What if she ended up taking her job? Then she'll have to start back at square one; feeding off the streets and trespassing and risking getting in trouble every night just to shower.

She tried to not let the thought worry her. She closed her eyes to attempt sleeping.

_"Oh Toki, you're amazing!"_

_ "SHUT UP!" she heard Nathan scream._

Karina sighed. "Fuck my life…"

It took a while, but the bus had gotten quiet enough for Karina to finally fall asleep. She'd slept in until around one-thirty. It was no wonder, with all the commotion last night with Toki and his girl.

The next morning, she had noticed the bus hadn't moved yet. She went downstairs to the lobby where everyone sat with their breakfast.

"Everyones, this ams Sarah. She my best friend that's I cans tells everything to!" announced Toki.

"Humm?" Boy, Karina thought, this chick _was_ a dumb blonde.

"I loves you, Sarah. You's be with me forevers, right?" Toki grinned, but everyone could tell it was fake. The band paid no attention.

"Umm… I have to meet Mastadon at six. What we had was a one night stand. Now I have to go be with them."

Toki laughed falsely. "Ohs, you's so funny, Sarah!" He laughed nervously again.

Karina glared at Toki angrily. Just what she thought.

"Yeah uh, that's nice. Toki, listen, we have to get going soon. So if you could just uh…" Pickles began. He pointed to Sarah. "Get rid of her."

"Gets rid of her? Why? She my new girlfriend!"

"Toki, I'm not your girlfriend."

"Yes you ares! Forevers, remember?"

"… I'm leaving." Sarah stood up and walked toward the door.

"Waits, come back! Please!"

"Dude, let it go. She's a groupie. They don't last forever," said Pickles, enjoying a warm plate of French toast Jean-Pierre had delivered to them.

Karina took a bite of the warm syrupy goodness. It melted in her mouth. It was possibly the best French toast she had ever eaten. She moaned in delight. The band looked at her suspiciously, with the exception of Toki, of course. "What?" she asked. No one said anything.

The bus had begun to move. They were finally headed home. Finally. It made Karina happier to know that Sarah wasn't coming home with them. She'd known all along she was just another groupie.

The whole trip back consisted of sleeping, eating, playing small board games, and talking. The band was almost home when they decidede to play a quick last-minute game of Scrabble.

"Here. D-U-R-I-N-G. During." Pickles placed his small letter tiles in the intended spaces.

"Okay, whatch about zhish?" Murderface placed a Q, and I, and an S. "Quis. Ish zhat a word?"

"No Murderface, I don't think it is," said Karina scanning through the dictionary. "No."

"Ah dammit! Can'tch we jusht play for fun? And notch all zhish rules bullshit?"

"No, because then that won't make it fair to everyone. I want… to win," replied Nathan to Murderface. "Hey Toki, why don't you come over here and play with us?"

"Ja, you ams sittings dere since we left Atlantas, likes a fish. Awwwwl… wait a minute… ares you's mads because your girlfriends lefts?" Skwisgaar had a sarcastic grin.

Toki pouted. He didn't say anything.

Skwisgaar was silent for a moment. His face twisted into an angry pout. "Fucks him."

"Okay. Durable. Write that down for me, Pickles," Karina said regarding the game.

"My lords, we are approaching Mordland," said one of the Klokateers. It had been that long already? Toki huffed, and Karina grinned.

Time flies when you're having fun, doesn't it?


	9. My Addiction

Mordhaus was as quiet as it ever was when Dethklok arrived back from Atlanta the day before. Toki and Karina still hadn't talked to each other; just a few mere glares here and there. But no actual words were spoken. This was starting to agitate Karina. Now this had gone too far…

Dinner ran as usual; Toki sat on the far left of the table while Karina sat on the far right of the opposite side. Dinner was also very quiet. Even Ofdensen didn't have very much to say, besides that the concert was a success and they had made the money they'd need.

Ofdensen glared at Toki, who was the only one who wasn't participating. "Umm… Toki, I noticed you've been quite repulsive and moody lately… what seems to be bothering you? Hmm? Anything?"

Toki sat silent with a hateful pout.

"… Anything?"

Still no response.

"Well, uh… for the record, I tried."

"Nothings," he replied finally, "I just miss Susie."

"I thought her name was Sarah," said Pickles with a smirk.

Toki was silent. "Ah, screw you all off!" He stood up and walked out of the conference. "I goes and takes a fucking nap!"

"Toki, come on! We all know you were just trying to get back at Karina!" shouted Pickles.

"So? Who cares! Not like _she_ my girlfriend!"

"Aww, see what you've gone and did to him?" asked Nathan to Karina.

"Me? You agreed with me the other night!"

"You're only acting like that because you're jealous of that girl."

"I wasn't jealous!"

No one said anything. There was no point in arguing.

"Well, regardless, Toki's going to have to get his act together," said Ofdensen after realizing and getting a good grasp on what was really going on.

Karina rolled her eyes. She knew what she needed to do. He had already done his part, now it was her turn, she supposed. It was the time for her to finally apologize to Toki.

"Look, dude… we've had enough. All this fighting is driving us crazy. Either go out there and apologize to him, or we're kicking you both out," said Pickles angrily.

Karina sighed "You're right, I guess. I'll go talk to him."

"Thank Gahd!" shouted Pickles. "Just sayin'."

"Zhose wordsh are like mushic to my earsh…"

Karina had no lead on the whereabouts of Toki in Mordhaus. But judging by his claim to go and take a nap, she assumed he was in his room. She made her way up the stairs and around the corner. She stared at the door for a moment.

"You know, I'm gonna miss all the, you know, drama around here. That stuff was getting pretty good," said Nathan.

"Well yeah, but you gotta think, you gotta think of what's best for Toki. I mean, his playing kind of sucked the other night," Pickles implied. "I think that stuff really did get to him."

"Ha. Whens does Toki's playings evers gets good?" Skwisgaar commented sarcastically. He chuckled at his own statement.

She thought about this long and hard. Was she doing the right thing? After all of the spite he had against her, was this really worth doing? Yes, she thought. It was all worth it. She reached for the door, but was startled by Toki's sudden appearance after the door had opened right in front of her. They met, nose to nose. Well, chest to nose. Karina was a great deal shorter than he was.

She signed. "Look," she didn't know how else to begin. Toki stood silent, with stern eyes. "I've come here to apologize. I know it was wrong, what I did. I guess I was afraid you wouldn't use good judgment…" Karina chuckled, faintly. "Heh, how can you use good judgement on a person like me though, huh?"

Toki frowned.

"This is me giving thanks to you, too; for everything: the clothes, the food, the home… for saving my life." Karina's faint grin faded into a hollow blank expression. "But I can already see that I've caused more trouble than I'm worth. I just wanted to get that out to you, so you wouldn't think I completely forgot what we had, and what we gained in such a short amount of time." She giggled. "Wow, we ended up being so close in only twenty-four hours, huh?" She turned around and walked a little ways, but then stopped to face him again. "I can't stay, Toki. I have to start making a life of my own. I can't rely on you guys to keep me alive. It feels like moving back in with your parents… well, somewhat. But this is your last chance, to either forgive or forget. If you don't want to accept my apology, by all means, don't. I understand. But if you do, I'll gladly stay here with you…"

He held the same expression, his sad eyes sinking into hers.

"I'll give you some time to think about it. I'm going to start packing." She continued to walk across the hall.

Toki's heart dropped to his knees. Dammit…

"Waits… don'ts go… I'm sorry, Karina. I shoulds have never have dones that's to you." Toki looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please forgives me…" He held out his arms. "Come backs to me…"

She turned around from her tracks. "Toki, don't apologize. You're right. I lied to you. I should have told you right off the bat about my… problem." Karina looked down to the side in shame. "I'm sorry, too… I really-"

"Shhh," said Toki. "You don'ts needs to say nothings. I understands, now."

After a short reluctant pause, she slowly began to walk over to him, She bashfully walked right into his open arms as he wrapped her in a hug; their first hug. She could feel the pink arise to her cheeks. She smiled.

"Don'ts ever leaves." He squeezed her. After a moment, he let her go, looking at her with a heartwarming grin. "I forgives you, for everything." He motioned her into his room.

With a shy grin, she walked in with him. It had only been about the second or third time she had gone in his room since she had been living in Mordhaus. It was definitely very boyish, and she noticed he had the smallest room out of the five band members. She looked around at all of the model airplanes and cars he had spent his spare time working on, sitting perfectly on his dresser and shelves. They looked as if they were real miniature airplanes and automobiles.

She looked at the walls, covered by posters and pictures of him, and some with his band mates. But there was one that caught her eye. "Are these your parents?" she asked, looking at one picture in particular. The couple in the frame had no expression.

Toki frowned, in process of fixing a wing off one of his space shuttles. "Yeah," he said quietly. "That's my fathers. He's dead now; died of cancer."

She continued to look at this lifeless photo. She could see the eyes Toki told her of; the eyes of his mother. She looked as if she had eyes of glass. "And this is your mother."

Toki turned around and smiled, brushing all of the emotional baggage attached to them behind. "Come sits down with me," he said walking motioning his hand to the computer chair.

She walked to the computer desk where Toki had his flat screen desktop loaded. He figured he would brighten the mood by pulling up the internet browser, and typing in the URL to YouTube.

"So, is this what you do in your spare time?" Karina asked.

"Partsley. Most of the time I build airplanes." Toki pulled up a video of a large man, singing in an unfamiliar language. "Ha, looks at that douche bag!"

Karina giggled. It _was_ kind of funny… "Do you not practice with the rest of the band?" she asked, since that's the only thing she'd ever caught them doing with their free time, besides watching television.

"Eh, nots really. Skwisgaar tunes me outs, anyway." All of a sudden, Toki's computer flashed to a black screen. A box that said 'Username or password is invalid' appeared on the screen. After Toki attempted to log in again, another screen read 'This server is registered to William Murderface'. "Ah Murderface you piece of shit!" he shouted. They could hear him laughing from downstairs.

Toki huffed. "Wells I guess internets is outs of the questions." Toki grinned and stood up from his computer chair. "We haves a lot to talks about, anyways," he said walking over towards his bed. He sat at the foot and motioned her to sit with him.

She walked over and sat next to Toki. "Guess we do, huh?"

Toki frowned. "I'ms sorry, Karina…"

She giggled. "I thought we already went over this." She laid back and gazed up at the ceiling.

"I knows, but… I shoulds have never had done those things to gets back at you."

"And I never should have done drugs."

Toki grimaced. "No, you shouldn'ts have." He laid along side her. "How do you knows Dr. Rockso, anyway?"

She sighed. "Long story. I made a deal with him; a prescription of lortabs for a couple of ounces of cocaine," Karina answered, trying to remember the night at its fullest. "He was already high, so he asked me if I could give him a…" Karina hesitated. "Blowjob." She blushed at the word.

"Oh, wowee. Did he make you?"

"No, the police came before he could." She frowned. "You had no idea though, did you?"

"For the record, I woulds never turns you in to a criminal like that. I realize now that Dr. Rockso's a bad man."

"That's one of the reasons I ended up here in the first place. I was hiding from that crooked old clown, and the police." Karina looked over at Toki after spending all the conversation looking to the ceiling. "I guess I just thought since you were upset, and you and Dr. Rockso were friends, that you'd toss me over to him."

"No. I woulds nevers do that to you. No matters how mads I get." Toki grinned. "I keep him out of here for you. He hasn't been backs in a while."

The two of them sat silent for a moment. It was now eleven forty-five. "Toki, I never slept with anyone."

"Whats?"

"My dad, when he asked me if you were just another one of those guys. Well, I just want you to know that never happened. They were all friends. Just thought I should tell you." She glanced over at him. "I'm a virgin."

Toki blushed. "Umm… okays."

Karina smiled. "I guess I don't need to ask you, huh?"

"Karinas," Toki began, "Susie meants nothings to me."

"You mean Sarah?"

"Whatever. Felt like throwings a hotdog down a hallway, if you knows what I means."

She chuckled. "Well, I'm sure that wasn't your first, right?"

Toki frowned. "Well, no's." The conversation was beginning to get awkward.

"It's alright. It happens. I mean, you're Toki Wartooth, the rhythm guitarist of Dethklok."

"Yeahs I am. But that's no excuse for me's to be's means to you likes that. All night at that concerts, I kept thinkings about how screwed up inside I was for yelling at yous."

"Yeah. And all night I kept thinking about what kind of casket to set Sarah in."

Toki winced. "I don'ts hates you, Karina. I hope you knows that."

Karina smiled. "I do. Let's drop that, okay? It's all said and done. At least now we're friends again… aren't we?"

Toki grinned widely. "Oh, you knows it," he said almost in a giggle. The moment was interfered by an arm wrapping around Karina. Toki rested his head next to hers. She blushed. This was kind of awkward… With wide eyes, she looked over. "Karina, you ams the best friend I ever hads." He closed his eyes.

It took her a while to gather her thoughts, but she finally managed to smile. She could feel her heart beating right out of her throat. She reached her hand over and touched the back of his head. She ran her fingers through his clean brown hair. It was so soft, she thought. She massaged the back of his head with her fingertips. "Yeah. You're mine too, Toki."

"I'm yours," he whispered.

"What?"

"Uhh, nothings." He felt the heat rise to his cheeks. Despite the embarrassment, he still kept his arm overtop of her. No. He didn't love her. He was just cuddling with his friend. The feeling he had for her could compare to the feeling of what a child would have for their favorite stuffed animal. Not once has the thought of "involvement" crossed his mind.

She eyed him suspiciously but immediately forgot after looking at those innocent blue eyes. It immediately felt like their chests collided with a train; both their hearts stopped for only a moment as their eyes met. Karina felt nervous all of a sudden. This was merely a staring session now. Their foreheads touched, gazing deep into each other. Why? They didn't know for themselves, either.

"Toki," Karina broke the silence. She slightly grinned. "What are we?"

"Whats do you means?"

"Look at us."

"We ams friends," he smiled, "best friends." He held her closer. "You ams so warm rights now."

Warm… like a security blanket; like a fire against the winter chill; like the feeling you get when you're laying with your best friend in the whole world, secretively; not like a stone… Toki closed his eyes. It was nice for a change.

"Toki?"

"Hmm?" his voice faded out, almost asleep.

"Remember how I said there was a cure to my sickness, somewhere?"

"Mmhmm…"

"Well… I haven't had one withdrawal all day. And now, here we are… and I realize, you're that cure, Toki. You are my addiction."

Despite the fact of being half asleep, the words rung in his head; plain as day. Toki smiled faintly. He couldn't help himself.

Karina lowered her hand from his head to his back. Making sure he was asleep before she pulled this drastic move, she wrapped her other arm around him. The room grew silent again, but only this time it was silence of tranquility and peace. She felt comfortable to close her eyes and took a deep breath into him, smelling the expensive cologne he had recently began to wear. The warmth shared between them was so calming. For once, she felt safe. It was hard to resist the temptation to sleep, which both had succeeded in doing.


	10. Charles's Secret

_"… The toad has many natural enemies; including birds, skunks, foxes, and large fish… When feeling threatened, they release a foamy white chemical out of their glands located right above their ear drums… so anything that would try to eat this toad will suffer a terrible tasting poison… This poison is not lethal, it just tastes bad enough for the predator to let go… but some animals have evolved new ways for eating the toad, by flipping it on its back and attacking the vulnerable underbelly…"_

The large hanging television beamed over the breakfast table of Dethklok, who all had their pancakes, eggs, and coffee in their matching collectable coffee cups in the shape of their own heads, with the exception of one member who wasn't present for this factual information.

"Hmm," Nathan poured syrup over his stack of warm pancakes, "Animal Planet usually talks about some pretty weird fucked up shit… but that's actually pretty metal."

Skwisgaar seemed to be absolutely amazed by the toad's self-defense. "Ja! It ams like, fucks you now I ams going to spray dis poison on you's tongue! Imagines if we has the capabilities to do dat!"

"I know, right? It's like, here comes some regular old dildo walking down the street, and then all of a sudden 'Hey, it's Pickles the drummer from Dethklok!' and they try to grab you just to touch you, you know? And then all of a sudden _bam_! Spray that white stuff on em', then they'll leave you alone." Pickles dug into his eggs.

"Yeah, but… like zhe shkunk and bird, wouldn't_ fansh _evolve new waysh to attack _ush_ after a while?"

They were silent for a moment. "You know, that's a good point, Murderface." Nathan sipped his 'blackened blood' Norwegian coffee. "Hmm… You know, that would actually be a pretty badass idea for a concert; have the stage be shaped like a toad's head, and any time some weird jack-off wants to do something crazy, the dispensers on the sides of the stage will spray poison in their mouth, so they won't bother us."

"Well, Nathan, if that's really what you're considering, we do have the money to make it happen. I can call and see about making your ideas possible… but I must remind you, you already have a similar defense already; I gave each and every one of you a can of pepper spray, and I do believe you still have those, what was it? Pelvic thrust mace belts?" interrupted Ofdensen. "They have the similar effect of defense."

"Yeah, but we still want a toad's head as our stage! Toads are the most brutal amphibians in the world!" argued Nathan, his uncontrollable anger causing him to slam him fists down on the table.

The room grew silent. Ofdensen cleared his throat. "Uhh… very well, then. I'll call stage management today and I'll see what they can do about your… _toad _fetish."

Pickles realized the absence of their missing member. "Hey wait a second, where's Toki?"

Nathan agreed. "Yeah, Toki's been missing out on breakfast_ a lot_ lately. I haven't seen that guy around all morning."

"Ja. Maybe he's gones and mades up with Karina, and they ams made sweet love… to each other." Skwisgaar closed his eyes at the touching subject.

"Yeah, but we're not supposed to show interest in that though, remember?" Pickles reminded them of their agreement to not show any particular interest in one another's personal lives. So far it hadn't been working too well.

"Man, if they made up, I'm gonna really miss having all the excitement of them arguing… it was like a fucking soap opera, or something." Nathan completely disregarded Pickles's point. "You know what I mean?"

Ofdensen merely stood by and listened, not really understanding their strange fascinations. It's funny how they can go from one subject, and then hope right onto another. He took off his glasses and rubbed his head. He shut his eyes and sighed. What a bunch of idiots… "Alright. Just make sure you get him back in this room before the morning is over. We have important issues to discuss."

Skwisgaar giggled. "What if they ams fucked?"

"… What if zhey killed each other?"

The room grew quiet again. Nathan blinked. "… Alright, we'll go check."

Morning couldn't have seemed to have come quicker over Mordland; for Toki and Karina at least. The two of them were still in deep sleep in the same positions they were in before, uncovered and still in the clothes they wore yesterday, including shoes. Their sleep wasn't disturbed by the sound of the opening door. Apparently Dethklok had already had breakfast without them. Nathan walked in Toki's room along with Skwisgaar, Pickles, and Murderface. The four of them snickered at the sight. Both Toki and Karina's mouths hung open. They were oblivious to Dethklok's presence.

"Heh-heh… well _they_ fucked." Pickles tried to keep himself unheard.

The rest of them giggled. There was also a slight sense of relief that they were still alive.

"You know, I know we're not supposed to show any kind of interest in each others' personal lives… but this is just too damn funny," Nathan sneered.

"You know, itch'sh really hard to supressh zhe urge of being a dick right now."

"Dude, Murderface, don't," Pickles replied while still chuckling.

"Awww, Moiderface, don'ts picks on littles Toki," Skwisgaar commented sarcastically. "Not while dey ams sleepings, so soundly..."

Pickles put his hand over his mouth to cover his laugh. It was apparently just too funny for him to see. "Yeah, we're not supposed to… okay, do it, do it, do it!" Well, it certainly didn't take _him_ long to overcome the resistance.

Murderface cleared his throat. "Yeah, uh, shomeone shaid zhere was a shale of Trojan Ecstasy condoms at Flintrolls!" he shouted.

Toki flinched, opening his eyes immediately. He sat up while Karina still lay sound asleep.

"Yeah, dude! I was like, oh my Gahd! I know someone who would love to hear that! They sure could use an extra condom!" Pickles cracked up at the expression on Toki's face.

"WHAT AMS YOU DOINGS IN MY ROOM? GETS OUT!" yelled Toki, frantically. The rest of Dethklok hysterically laughed.

"Dude, you should have seen the expression on your face as soon as I said the word 'condom'!"

Nathan was still getting over laughing so hard. "Hey, hey Toki, long night, huh?"

"Goes away! We didn'ts do nothings to you!"

"No, not to us, but together, I bet."

Toki blushed fiercely. They had gotten the wrong idea. "No, we didn'ts! She my friend!"

"Toki, boy and girl friends don't sleep in the same bed… do they?" Pickles asked. He scratched his head.

"It was accidents-cal," Toki said innocently. "We didn't means anything likes that."

"What _were_ you doing, exactly?" asked Nathan. Boy, they really did disregard the rule of not interfering in each other's lives, didn't they?

"We apologize, then we talks… then Murderface ruin my computer!"

Murderface snickered. "Shorry, jusht bein' a dick..."

The band grew silent when they heard rustling in the sheets of Toki's bed. Karina had stirred from her sleep. She opened her eyes. Confused, she turned her head every which way to find Dethklok staring right back at her. Everyone was quiet. "Fuck my life…" she murmured.

"How coulds she haves sleeps through all dats?" Skwisgaar questioned. –Says the man who can play a guitar fluently in his sleep.

"Sleep through what?" she asked. She rubbed her eyes.

"Through this whole conversation… you don't know what's going on?" Pickles began to wonder, too. They _were_ pretty loud.

"Pickles, after months of sleeping through the shudders of a freight train and screaming people throughout the streets, you learn to sleep through just about anything." She stretched and yawned. "What the hell are you guys doing in here, anyway?"

"So… are you two cool with each other now?" Pickles wondered.

Karina and Toki looked at each other and smiled. "Yeah," said Toki looking back at the band. "We ams cools with each other."

Pickles quickly replied. "Okay, cool, that's great. But we've gotta get going; Ofdensen said we have a big day ahead of us." He smiled.

"Bigs days aheads of us? What's you talkings about?" asked Toki, a little upset that he was being rushed as soon as he'd woken up. He rubbed his head.

Meanwhile…

All of Dethklok had arrived in the dining room with the exception of Karina, who had used Toki's bathroom to shower and dress. Ofdensen had waited at the table to deliver important news to them when they were all united together. "Hmm, look who decided to join us," he said, referring to Toki. Everyone had taken their seats. "Alright, now that we're all here, we can finally start discussing our trip we had planned today."

"Wait, trip?" asked a disappointed Nathan. "I thought you said we were going to have a big day, as in recording-wise."

Ofdensen blinked. "Um, no, that's not what I meant. You haven't even _written_ anything. You should have already known this day was coming. We've discussed this before."

No one said anything. No one was listening.

"Yes, well… as you all know, or, _now _know, tomorrow is the fourth annual Band-A-Thon band gathering. Several famous metal bands will be gathering throughout the world in Las Vegas."

The band erupted. "Oooh, Las Vegas!" a few had said. The rest made incomprehensible noises of enthusiasm.

"Yes, well, however, you are still limited to your whereabouts and your actions. We don't want anyone getting hurt. So there will be no gambling or-"

The band went from enthusiastic cheers to a long groan.

Pickles huffed. "What the hell? Come on, it's Vegas! Have you ever heard the saying 'What happens in Vegas _stays_ in Vegas'?"

"Pickles, that's not the point. The point is we don't want anyone getting hurt, not after the whole ordeal involving Ms. Paaladen."

"So we ams blames it on Karinas now?" Skwisgaar scowled. "That's repulsives! She didn'ts do's nothings!"

"I'm not saying she did." Ofdensen sighed. "Look, all I'm trying to get at here is that we're doing this for your own safety. Nathan, Skwisgaar, Toki, Pickles; start getting your bags together."

"Woah woah woah, wait, hold on a shecond! What aboutch me?"

"Murderface, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to stay here."

Murderface paused as if the trigger in his mind had just been set. His eyes widened. "What?" He scowled. "What zhe fuck do you mean I have tcho shtay here?"

"Trust me William, you will thank me later…" Ofdensen looked to the side out the massive window that peered over all of Mordland. The sun reflected off his glasses. "I'll let you know why when the time comes."

Murderface angrily stood up and shoved his chair away. "Ah zhat's bullshit! You waitch! You waitch until Planet Piss gets bigger zhan Dethklok, zhen I'll leave _all _you dickweedsh in zhe dust! Fuck all of you!" He stormed off toward his room. Everyone stared, appalled when Murderface had "flipped them the bird".

"Oh boys, I goes and tells Karina!" Toki said with excitement. He had begun to stand up out of his seat when Ofdensen halted him.

"Toki, Karina won't be able to go with us," said Ofdensen, seeing they were apparently okay with each other again.

Toki pouted. "Awws, whys not?"

Ofdensen stood up from his chair and looked over the entire band. "I'll explain everything to you when I feel the time is right. But for right now, let's just all go and meet up with the other bands, relax, and have a good time with a positive attitude. We'll be staying there for the next four days. So I advise you to pack whatever you need. Meet me down here in the lobby, and we'll leave as soon as possible."

The band was dismissed to their rooms.

Ofdensen waited until everyone had gone out of the room when he started talking into his what looked to be a watch. A camera focused onto a Klokateer appeared on the screen. "Yes, is everything according to plan?"

"Yes, sire. The festival is still scheduled for tomorrow."

"… And the girl?"

"She should be safe. They expect her to be with Dethklok tomorrow. They will be keeping a watchful eye looking for her, until it becomes apparent she will not be there… in that case, we'll guard the outside of Mordhaus with hawk's eyes tonight."

"Very well, then. Make sure nothing happens to her."

"Yes, sire."

The screen went black. Something outside the extent of Dethklok's knowledge was brewing, and it was starting to become apparent…

With a frown, Toki slumped inside his room and gently shut the door. He sighed and walked over to his dresser and began to pull out the drawers to gather his clothes. He heard a door open. He looked over to find Karina standing in the doorway of his bathroom. All the heat rose up to his cheeks when he saw her.

Karina immediately blushed, for she only had a towel covering herself. "I uhh… thought you were at a band meeting?"

"Uhh… we's just now gettings out." Toki frowned one again, seeming to forget the fact that she was still in only a towel. "We ams goings to Las Vegas… Charles say you can't come with."

Karina pouted. "What? That's not fair, I go with you guys everywhere!" She paused for a moment and looked down. Again, she blushed. "Umm… hold on a second." She returned back to the bathroom and closed the door.

Toki continued to pack for a moment when the door reopened. A fully dressed Karina emerged from the steamy room. He giggled, noticing she was wearing the pink shirt he had picked out for her, along with a brand new pair of blue jeans, white heels that exposed her red-painted toes, and a little golden necklace that he didn't remember buying for her. Good, now maybe she reached about 5'1. She smiled bashfully. Things weren't as awkward now. "I haves to packs now, we'ms leaving here shortly." Toki continued to fold his shirts into his suitcase. "Oh, but Murderface is stayings with you while we ams gone."

"Why?" she wondered.

"I don'ts know. Charles say he can'ts go with us."

Karina's brow rose. She could tell something wasn't right… "Hmm."

After Toki was finished packing all of his belongings into his suitcase, he turned to her. He pouted. "I'ms goings to miss you…"

Karina frowned. "Yeah. I'm gonna miss having someone to talk to until six a.m. every morning." She walked over toward him and wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into an embrace.

Toki jumped at this sudden incident, but quickly forgot as he returned the hug. He leaned his head down on top of hers. Her wet hair felt cool on his face.

After a few seconds, they looked at each other. Something had struck them, like a bolt of lightning going through both their hearts at the same time. It happened again. But why?

Karina gazed into Toki's eyes, who was obviously looking into her as much as she was looking into him. Her heart fluttered. She reacted to this foreign feeling instinctively by moving her face slowly towards his. Toki sat with no reply. He had an idea of what was going to happen, and he was going to give in… but as their faces got closer, right as soon as their lips were about to make contact, Toki stopped them. "I'm… I'ms sorry," he said, avoiding looking into her eyes. She frowned. "Maybe we ams got the wrong idea…"

Karina backed away from him, gathering her thoughts as she stood there in embarrassment. What the hell was she thinking? "Yeah," she replied. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. She began to shake of nervousness. Here came the awkwardness again…

"Uhh, maybe we shoulds go," said Toki, not really sure what to think of it, either.

Silently, both of them left the room together to meet Ofdensen in the main lobby. The tension grew, and awkwardness was strongly present as they made their way through the halls. Neither one of them looked at each other. The short walk seemed like it took an eternity. Karina felt flushed. What the hell had she done?

They entered the living room with awkward faces. Ofdensen was the first one they had come to, along with Nathan and Skwisgaar waiting patiently on the couch. "Alright, so we're still missing Pickles? That's fine. We'll wait." Ofdensen looked over to Karina. "Hello ma'am… how are you doing today?"

She shook it off. "I'm fine," she said with a plastic smile.

"Good, good." Charles stared at her for a bit longer, but she didn't notice, for she was looking at the floor with loads on her mind to even bother paying attention to anything else. "Miss Paaladen, umm, while we're waiting, can I have a word with you… in my office?"

She barely held onto a grin. "Yes, sir," she replied nervously. Great, this was about the whole Toki situation this morning, she thought. She took a deep breath as she followed him to an elevator that she had no idea existed.

It took a while for the elevator to rise to their destined floor. In the meantime, Karina fidgeted with her belt loops. "Umm… am I in trouble, Mr. Ofdensen?"

Charles giggled. "You _do_ worry a lot, don't you?" He glanced over with an assuring smile. "No, Karina. You're not in trouble. It's just a talk, that's all."

She looked back down. She wasn't so sure about this…

When the elevator had finally stopped, they walked a ways until they came to the door that led into his office. It was a huge office, bigger than any she'd ever seen before… certainly bigger than Principal Right's office at her old high school.

Ofdensen sat at his desk in his wooden plush-cushioned chair. "Please, have a seat," he said waving his hand in offering to the chair in front of his desk. She uneasily sat down. She felt claustrophobic for some odd reason… He looked at her, folding his hands on his desk. "So, uhh… here we are."

"Yes."

"Here… in my office."

"Mmm-hmm."

Ofdensen sat quietly for a moment. He simply didn't know how to tell her.

"So, umm… what's going on?"

Charles sighed. He removed his glasses from his nose and rubbed his eyes. "Karina… you've really improved within the last week. I congratulate you for that."

She smiled. But what is the real reason she is in here for?

"The boys seem to like you a lot. You appear to make them happy. And when they're happy, I'm happy. I'd hate to see them depressed or bored out of their minds. Besides, Mordhaus could really use a woman's touch around here." Charles shoved his glasses back on the bridge of his nose. "I just wanted you to know that our home is your home. And I understand you've had a rough past. We want to make sure, uhh… that doesn't happen again."

Karina scooted back from the edge of the chair and relaxed herself. _Now_ she sees what's going on… "You know," she began with a smirk. "I really like a man in a suit…"

Ofdensen raised his brow. "Umm… excuse me?"

Karina leaned up. "Come on, sir. Tell me what's really going on. There can't possibly be anything worse than what has already happened to me."

Charles sighed. He dreaded this moment. "Yes, actually, there is."

Karina cocked her head. She raised her eyebrow. "What are you saying?"

"What I'm saying, is that there are a lot of dedicated Dethklok fans out there. There are also a… lot of ladies that would like to have these boys." Charles hesitated to go on.

"Yes, and?"

"All I'm trying to say here, is to watch yourself a little closer. The reason you're not coming with us to Las Vegas is because there will be a lot of people expecting you there, and we don't want anything… drastic to happen. You were spotted out with Toki a while back at the mall, and people really begin to question public appearances like that. Murderface is staying behind with you, because he is in charge of the band's safety regulations. He's going to make sure nothing happens to you, and make sure you're not alone. But don't worry, it's just for right now. Just take extra precaution, okay? Keep an eye out, and watch yourself." He refused to tell her the whole situation.

"Yes, sir. I'll make sure to do that. Thank you." She arose out of her seat and began to walk towards the door.

"Miss Paaladen?"

She turned around to face him once again.

"… I'm only doing this because the band cares about you, no matter what they say or how they treat you... and I care."

She grinned. "Thank you, sir." She had honestly never experienced so much compassion since her mother left.

Charles smiled, but looked over to his digital clock sitting on his desk corner. It was almost two o'clock. "Well… let's head out, shall we? If we wait much longer, we'll never get to Vegas."

A while later, everyone had packed all of their things, and was ready to fly out on the customized helicopter to the state of Nevada. Murderface and Karina stepped outside with the remaining members of Dethklok to have last minute conversations before they headed out to the city of lights.

Toki walked over to Karina as the aircraft's engine revved up. He still avoided eye contact with her. She looked to the side and blushed as he approached her. "So… this ams goodbyes."

"For four days, at least," she said to him. She finally built up the nerve to look up at him. She smiled. "Have fun."

He looked up from the side and grinned at her. "Yeah."

Toki, come on; we're leaving!" bellowed Nathan over the roaring blades of the helicopter. They still would have heard him even if he were talking in his normal voice, since it was so distinctive. Skwisgaar and Pickles had already taken their seats on the luxurious aircraft.

She giggled. "Better go, Toki. They're gonna leave you behind."

Toki looked at her one last time. He frowned. "Goodbyes, Karina." He began to walk away. But the further he went, the slower he walked. He stopped. What had he done?

"Toki, come on!" shouted Pickles.

"Ams we goings to sits here alls day?" added Skwisgaar.

Nathan saw Toki turn around. He rolled his eyes. "Oh, Christ."

Karina was walking back to the entrance of Mordhaus when suddenly she heard footsteps._ Running_ footsteps. She turned around to find Toki looking back at her, out of breath. She glared at him, confused. Their hair waved in the wind created by the spiraling blades. "Toki?"

But before she could say anything else, she was interrupted by him grabbing a hold of her and wrapping her in a tight embrace. He leaned down and whispered to her, "You ams my addictions too, Karina…" He pulled away and looked into her eyes. He finished what had been started by quickly pressing his lips against hers, all the time while she was in shock. He wasn't quite sure what he had done either.

Toki had left her dumbfounded as he raced toward the helicopter without even looking back.

As soon as he was inside, the aircraft hovered off the ground. Murderface walked up beside of Karina while they returned the waves of Dethklok waving through the enormous glass door in the back of the helicopter. They watched as the helicopter disappeared into the glare of the sun. After a moment of silence, Murderface looked over to her. "Sho… it'sh jusht you and me."


	11. Murderface

I am soooo sorry for the late update! With school and vacation, there's hardley enough time anymore. I should be able to work on this more now. Thank you for waiting!

* * *

The helicopter, black and massive, flew steadily through the evening sky, unknowingly slaughtering a few birds along the way. The blood stains on the window didn't catch the attention of Dethklok, who sat like lumps on their plush seats.

Toki glanced out the window at the orange-stained clouds and the setting sun. It should be dark about now in the east. It was interesting seeing the extended sunset since they were flying into another time zone. They were somewhere halfway across the states by now. He sighed and broke the silence.

"What's gotten into you?" asked Pickles, who was sitting beside him for the entire flight to Vegas.

"Nothings," he replied glumly. He proceeded to watch the clouds go by.

"Aww, don't lie," said Pickles with a smirk. "We all know what happened back there."

He shrugged. "Why? Whats happeneds backs there?" Toki played mister innocent.

"You know what happened," insisted Pickles, followed by a wolf's whistle.

Toki blushed. "Shuts up. I don't likes her like that. She my friend." He couldn't honestly count all the times he's said that.

"I call bullshit on that one, Toki," Nathan joined in the conversation, his eyes peering up from a magazine, and his… glasses?

"No's, I means it!"

"Don'ts lies to you's best friends, Toki," interrupted Skwisgaar. He eyed him suspiciously. "We ams knows, already; how you were… gawkings at her the wholes times you were fighting."

"Was nots."

"Was toos."

"Was nots!"

"Was toos!"

The two Scandinavians began to argue.

"BOTH OF YOU, SHUT UP!" Nathan bellowed. The bass of his tenor voice vibrated their seats. When he yells, _everyone_ shuts up.

For the record, he actually wasn't gawking at her. If anything, he'd tried to forget her existence.

Ofdensen entered the room. "Do I hear fighting?" he asked looking around at the remaining members of Dethklok. "Hmm?"

No one said anything.

Toki was the first one to speak out. "Why couldn'ts have Karina just comes with us?" he asked giving in. The rest of the band chuckled.

"Because, Toki, it's too dangerous for her out there. She could get killed. Your fans are very dedicated, you know," replied Ofdensen, even though that wasn't the full story he had been hiding under the rug.

"So? She goes with us to Atlanta, and nothings happened there."

Charles sighed. "Alright… it's better if I tell you this now than later." He gave them a stern stare. "Gentlemen, Karina could be in grave danger as we speak."

The band didn't say anything.

Charles raised his eyebrow. "… She is at risk of getting exterminated."

Still, nothing.

He sighed. Sometimes he'd forgotten how simple these twits really were. "She could die."

The band gasped. "Why didn't you tell us that?" exclaimed Pickles.

"Then why couldn'ts I stay with her? Why Murderface?" Toki asked. He pouted, disappointed.

"Yeah really, Murderface is like, a classic woman-hater!" argued Pickles.

"Because, you all voted for him to be your safety regulations instructor, remember? He is staying behind to make sure she's safe, and not alone to do anything she'll… regret," he said, referring to her drug abuse. Ofdensen continued. "There is also a new hate group brewing in the shadows of Dethklok fandom. They apparently saw Miss Paaladen when she first arrived with us in Ft. Lauderdale. She was also spotted again with Toki at the mall a while ago, and it has become apparent to the public that she is living with us. But the fans are assuming the worst; that she is _sexually involved_ with Dethklok."

The band groaned. "That's disgusting!" one of them (Nathan) said.

"And also… there has been rumors spreading the street that Dr. Rockso is on the lookout for her too…"

Toki frowned upon this. They all immediately looked to him.

"Great job, Toki, now you're gonna get her killed!" Pickles insulted.

"Me's? What's did I do?" He pointed to himself. He scowled. He was about sick of being the underdog.

"Let's face it Toki; you're romantically involved!"

"No, I ams not!"

"Okay boys, we can settle this; let's not be rash," insisted Ofdensen.

"You're not? Then why did you kiss her, huh? You can't tell me that's not romantically involved."

The band gasped, again. Even Charles was secretly a little shocked at this incident. "You_ kissed_ her?" asked Nathan, seeming to be a little disappointed at this behavior. "Like, an actual _kiss_? With lips involved?"

Toki pouted angrily. "Yeahs. Whats of it?"

"So, you ams meanings to tells me, that you are romance-cally involved withs Karinas?"

"No!" Toki growled in frustration. He frowned. "I don'ts knows what I did…"

Pickles set his hand on Toki's shoulder. "It's _okay_, I mean, none of us know what we're doing half the time."

Ofdensen muttered. "Amen to that…"

"No's, I means, I don'ts knows _why_ I dids it." Toki pouted and rested his head in his hands. "I'ms such a homos…"

The band pardoned Toki's lack of knowledge of the English language. "Well, do yous regrets it?" asked Skwisgaar, for once actually concerned about the little man's feelings. And he actually meant it; not in a mocking manner.

"I don'ts know… I don'ts feels about her thats way." Toki was unsure of his own statement.

"So then go tell her. Toki, you can get any girl in the world. You're rich, you're famous, and you're a guitarist for _Dethklok_! Maybe Karina just isn't the right one."

"Oh, but Pickle, you don'ts understand! She ams likes a drugs to me; I can'ts stays away." He looked at his toes. "I feels bad because she try to kiss me earlier, and I wouldn'ts do's it."

"Sounds like you did it out of guilt, you know?" Nathan removed his glasses. Even though Toki was at his worst possible state right now, he still admired all the attention he was getting.

"Well, now we're here, and we have to concentrate on what's coming ahead. So let's just have a good time, alright boys? Cheer up. It is Vegas, after all."

The band merely looked at Ofdensen. A single sigh was the only thing audible in the room.

Like middle school, all over again…

At Mordhaus…

Now she was alone. Well, with the exception of Murderface and a couple of the Klokateers that stayed behind to guard the dragon's keep. But now she was left _confused_, and that was _worse_ than being alone. Karina had curled herself onto her freshly made bed. Her brown hair coated her pillow like silk. She looked over to find Toki's deddy bear sitting solo on her night stand. She reached for it and held it close to her. She closed her eyes. Why didn't he look back?

There was a quiet knock at her door. It wasn't shut all the way, and she could see Murderface through the crack. She figured he was bored out of his mind, too.

"Hey chick," he said. "Can I come in?" He walked into her room and looked around, fascinated at how tidy she had kept it.

Karina looked up from her pillow with a quiet gaze. Murderface knew there was a lot on her mind.

He walked over and sat on the foot of her bed. He glanced over with a comforting grin. "I know you're thinking a lot rightch now," he said putting his hand on his knee. "But now ish zhe chance to getch away from all zhat. Hey, it'sh jusht you and me now, huh?" He smiled, only hoping it cheered her up. He couldn't help it. He honestly liked the kid, despite his first impression on her.

She wore a fake smile. "Yeah," she said pretending to giggle. The charade didn't last. She buried her face inside her pillow and sighed.

Murderface frowned, but then smiled as the light hit his eyes. "Hey, I know! Why don't we go downshtairsh and watch a _shcary_ movie!" he said, emphasizing the word "scary". "Wouldn't zhat be great?"

Karina raised her face from her pillow and grinned; an _actual _smile. She appreciated his compassion. She sat up from her fetal position. "Sure, why not?"

They walked together through the broad hallways until they reached the first floor into Dethklok's luxuriously dark lair. She wasn't used to seeing all the lights off. But then again she wasn't used to almost everyone from Mordhaus being gone, either. As the lights came on, Karina's eye widened. It was so… quiet.

"Sho, what'sh it gonna be? Housh of a Thoushand Corpses? Black Christmash? Zhe Shining? Pet Shemetary?"

Karina instantly turned her head to Murderface. Pet Semetary. An instant 90's classic. "Dude, Pet Semetary!"

Murderface chuckled at her sudden burst of glee. "I'll go shtart zhe popcorn."

She squealed and tossed herself on the couch. She'd grown accustom to this house and treated it as her permanent home… while no one was watching. Maybe these four days of absence weren't going to be so bad after all.

Moments later, the aroma of butter filled the entire first story of Mordhaus. Karina was surprised Murderface didn't just ask one of their servants to prepare the popcorn for them. The bowl was hot at the bottom. This sent shivers of excitement up her spine. She hadn't seen an actual movie in practically months. And Orville Redenbacher never fails, either. One of the Klokateers did, however, insert the old VHS tape into the VCR/DVD player. The only thing lighting the entire living room was the grayish blue beams from the widescreen television. Even though both of them had seen this movie several times before, they were still just as entertained as their eyes were still glued onto the TV. The bowl sat in between them, and neither one of them hesitated to dig for the yellowiest pieces. Great minds think alike.

Like the entertainment, however, the movie also never hesitated to freak them out, either. Later on into the film, both their eyes looked like they'd been pried open for days. Sometimes they would find their hands missing the bowl and touching each other in the leg. There was no doubt they jumped every time. Their hearts raced.

"Ew… ew, look at zhat!"

"How did they even come up with this?"

"Well, it ish bashed on a true shtory-"

"OH MY GOD, LOOK AT THE LITTLE BOY!"

"Ah, holy shit!"

Near the end of the movie, the popcorn bowl had made its way all the way to the other side of the couch. Karina and Murderface had ended up sitting leg-to-leg distance from each other. Perhaps they felt safer that way, where the monsters in the movie couldn't reach them.

The lights came on as the movie ended. They winced at the sudden brightness. After a moment of their eyes getting readjusted, they sat quietly and uneasily. They let the movie credits roll.

"Karina… do you think zhat, you know… an ancient Indian burial ground where dead people come tcho life could be real?" His widened eyes looked over to her.

She was just as nervous as he was. "I don't know Murderface…" It didn't help that the movie was based on a true story.

"What if… what if zhere'sh a burial ground under Mordhaush?" Murderface scared himself at the thought.

Karina gasped. "You don't think this place is… haunted, do you?"

"Well, now zhat you think about it… a lot of people die here every day…" his heart began to race. "Let me jusht put zhish out zhere; If zhere'sh shome kind of weird ghosht haunting zhish place, you're zhe firsht one to go!" He shouted.

"What? Me? Why?"

"Becaushe, you are zhe shmallest and zhe weakest… zhey sheem tco target zhe weaklings like you…"

"But what happened to you being the safety instructor? You're supposed to protect the small and weak like me!"

They looked at each other. All of a sudden, they heard a bang from down one of the long dark hallways. Both of them yelped and fastened themselves in each other's arms. They glanced over at each other again with frightened faces. Oh damn.

Las Vegas; Arrival Time; 9:41 p.m.

Dethklok had exited the helicopter in the bustling city. Nathan was the first to come off board. The breeze blew his black hair, almost camouflage to the night sky. The wind was slightly chilly for it being in the west. The sky beamed bright yellow and red from the city afar. Sounds of car alarms, classy music, and winning jackpots filled the air. The smog made it almost hard to breathe. Now they could see why they called it the city that never sleeps.

They stepped off the stairs of the helicopter carefully and looked at the city in awe. It was nothing like back at home. "This place has really grown up on me," claimed Pickles, who had grown up in the west. It's where he spent the majority of his life.

"I really need… to gamble," replied Nathan, glaring over at Ofdensen. Ofdensen didn't reply.

"Ja. And where ams all ze women?"

"Dude, it's Vegas, not L.A." Pickles responded to Skwisgaar's question. "You have to go_ inside_ for that."

Toki watched as the variety of different lights glistened in the night sky. He watched the many different expensive cars ride by with booming basses. This would normally amaze him.

"Come on, Toki. Cheer up. We're in _Vegas_," said Pickled to comfort him. "Forget Karina. Seriously; move_ on_."

Toki still remained silent. He lowered his eyelids as he looked down. He sighed.

"Alright, I'm tired of this emo bullshit," growled Nathan.

"Yeah, really," Pickles added. "Tonight, we're gonna get you drunk and laid. It's unhealthy what you're doing."

Toki rolled his eyes slightly. They apparently just didn't understand.

"Okay, first thing's first; there's the hotel right there." Charles pointed at a massive several-story building that towered over the city. It must have been one of the luxury hotels. "Secondly; don't run off before I-"

"Okay, bye," Nathan interrupted him bluntly. The four boys crossed the street to where the casinos and bars beamed their bright neon signs. Charles sighed. He knew they wouldn't listen. But for the record, he tried.

"Come on, Toki. This is your night." Pickles lit a cigar and puffed smoke into the black sky.

The smoke seemed to be the symbol of Toki's sweet release. This was _his_ night. With his shoulders back, and his chin up, he walked alongside his band mates into the casino, where he vowed he would spend his time living with no regrets… for four days, at least.

At Mordhaus…

Murderface and Karina had finally ended up falling asleep on the couch; one laying one way, and one laying the other. It's exhausting sitting up all night watching for little boys ripping up out of the ground. All of Mordhaus was at peace now, with the exception of Murderface's very loud, very audible snore. It was around four-thirty in the morning when one of the Klokateers stopped the VHS, quietly enough to not awaken them.

In Las Vegas…

"Yeah! That's whats I'ms talkin' about!"

The sound of clanging change of yet another win filled the casino, and Toki was barely sober enough to stand up. One of the dancers helped him put his money into a bag. With a smirk, Toki reached for her partially exposed breasts, only for his hand to be slapped away. With a cry of disgust, she walked off. Nathan, Pickles, and Skwisgaar stood from afar, equally as intoxicated. "Way to go, Toki!" Nathan shouted and staggered, nearly spilling his liquor from his shot glass.

"You knows it!"

"Look at him," said Pickles leaning over to Nathan. "Now that's a free man right there."

"Ja… he ams finallies free… from ze horribles and deadlies grasp… of women."

"You said it, Skwisgaar." Nathan rubbed his running red nose. "Relationships are the weight of the world."

"Yeah, but you know, as soon as we walk back into the doors of Mordhaus, he's gonna be all over her again. It's kinda cute, ya know? He has a little crush." Pickles smirked.

"Uuugghh… it's not very metal to uhh… hummm…" Nathan lost his train of thought. He stared blankly in the distance.

"Umm… Nathan?"

"Heys you guys, looks at me! I'ms livings with no regrets!" Toki exclaimed sitting in a chair afar, drink in hand. The rear end of another girl was rubbing on his lap. The boys smiled and cheered.

"What the hell is going on here?" Ofdensen had emerged into the casino where they boys were barely hanging. "Alright. I believe that's enough for one night. Look at you; you can barely walk!" Charles was raging at their disobedience.

"Hey baby," whispered the stripper grinding on Toki's lap, "for fourty, I can give you the night of your life." She smirked. "What do you say?"

_"Live life with no regrets,"_ he kept thinking over and over. But this statement wasn't strong enough to hold back the memories; the memories he had with the only person he could open up to without being judged or beaten; the memories he had with the only person who would ever consider staying up all night with him just to _talk_; the memories he had with Karina. Even as intoxicated as he was, he'd still remember the person he cared about most. Even though they weren't considered _together_, he still looked at her as_ everything_. And he had left her alone to hang onto their first and last kiss with confusion. What had he done? He seemed to ask himself this question a lot anymore.

"Umm… no's, I'ms toos drunk," Toki slurred. He _was_. But that wasn't the real reason. He kept that one to himself. She wasn't even that attractive, anyway.

"Hmm," was the only thing the young girl said before she went onto some other older man, who with no doubt was willing to have the night of his life. Have fun getting AIDS, Toki thought.

A furious Charles looked at a barely conscious Dethklok, all staggering and slurring as they spoke. "I do remember stating clearly that there would be no gambling involved in this trip, did I not?"

Silence.

"In fact, where's your ten-thousand dollar allowance?'

"Uhhhh," Pickles began. "… there." He pointed to one of the slot machines. "And there," he said pointing to a poker table. "And maybe some right there." The half nude girls waved and winked at them in the distance.

"I must say, I'm terribly disappointed in you boys. This is exactly why I prohibited gambling. You win some, you lose some, and then before you know it, it's all gone. All of your money is gone."

"I haves some left," said Toki, holding up a sack of nickels he had won from the slot machine.

Charles merely stared. "Hotel. Now," Ofdensen ordered before he turned around and walked off.

The band followed behind as if they had their tails tucked between their legs.

At Mordhaus…

Murderface was the first to awaken from their short prolonged sleep. It was now around ten o'clock in the morning. Mordhaus was slightly chilly, and the pale sun shone bleakly through the windows. He could see dust particles filling the air. Eek," he said to himself. He arose off the couch and tugged at his shorts. He looked back to still find a sleeping Karina, her hair covering her face. Apparently there were no ghosts after all.

"Karina," he whispered. He shook her gently. "Karina," he said a bit louder. Suddenly he remembered that it took more than just a mere whisper to awaken her. With a shit-eating grin, he plugged his bass up to one of the many hundred amplifiers that created a whole wall. "_Thoooommmmmm_!" went the bottom E string (technically tuned to low C). The sound echoed throughout the walls of every room.

Karina's hair stood up on the back of her neck as she quickly scrambled off the couch, hitting her head against the carpet floor. She groaned. "What the hell?" She looked up at him angrily, rubbing the side of her head. She stood up, almost falling again in attempt to regaining her land legs.

"Rische and shine," he said with a smirk. He flipped the switch on the amp off. "We have shtuff to do today!"

"Like what?"

"Like, uh, clean?"

She looked around. There were clothes, booze bottles, and empty chip bags laying everywhere. She also noticed a lot of residue on the floors. Her natural neat-freak instincts began to emerge again. She stood up. With a quick swipe of the hair and a short breath of exhaustion, she put her hands on her hips. "Alright," she said. "Let's get to moving." She paused. "Hold on, I need to take a shower."

Later in Las Vegas…

"Alright Pickles, it's time to move!"

"Come on Nathan, time to get up!"

"Toki come on, we're going to be late!"

"Get this elderly lady out of your bed and let's go, Skwisgaar."

The band emerged out of their individual luxury hotel rooms and stood before their CFO Manager. They were absolutely exhausted and hung over for sure. Their eyes were outlined by dark circles. The light of the bright hallway light made them all groan in unison.

"Ow, what the fuck?" whined Pickles. He covered his eyes.

"Yeahs, we nots feels good!" Toki followed Pickles in blocking the effulgent light beaming into his eyes.

…Were they in heaven?

"I knew this would happen the second I saw you in the casino." Charles shook his head in disappointment. The band said nothing. Who _would _argue at seven in the morning?

They quickly remembered they were not dead, just on another business trip.

At Mordhaus…

Karina made her way into Toki's bathroom to shower. She figured he wouldn't mind since he was thousands of miles away. Afterwards, she met up with Murderface as they both looked upon the mess that waited before them. They groaned.

"Where's all the maids when you need them?" asked Karina, practically forgetting her very employment at Mordhaus as a housekeeper. Murderface only glanced at her for a second. He shook his head.

"Well, I guessh we need tcho get shtarted."

They both sat quietly for a moment.

"Umm… where do we start, exactly?"

"Well… I guessh we can shtart with Pickles'sh messh," he said referring to the liquor bottles scattered about all over the floor. Why hadn't they realized this before? "I guessh while zhey're gone I can shtart working on management for my new shide band; Planet Piss."

She raised her eyebrow. What a vulgar name. "Planet Piss?" she asked.

Murderface lifted the couch cushions to search for some loose change, and a missing civil war coin he had found missing a few days ago.

A few minutes into their quiet cleaning session, it was obvious it was already starting to get frustrating. Where was the vacuum when you needed it? "Hey, Murderface," Karina looked up from a sad attempt of picking up Cheeto crumbs from the floor and the couch cushions. "Can you turn on some music, or something? I'm starting to get bored."

"Shure," he grinned. Finally; someone he wasn't ashamed to share his guilty pleasure in music around. He ran into his room real quick, and then came back with a large leather case of old CD's. She couldn't help but look through the endless flaps of familiar bands.

"Wow; Led Zeppelin? Boston? Aerosmith?" Karina smiled. "You're not as dark and brutal as you come off to be, you know that?" she smirked, thinking of their horror incident last night.

"Well," he blushed a little with a faint grin. Maybe he was a little embarrassed after all. "I washn't alwaysh dark and brutal, you know. None of us were… well, except Nathan."

She giggled and pulled a CD from the slot. "Here," she said. She handed him the _Aerosmith: Gold_ CD to put in the DVD player with surround sound.

"Zhese were zhe good days. Can't beat a good band when you find one." He pushed the eject button for the CD to go in. He skipped a few tracks. A loud boom of a bass flooded the halls.

"_Ahhh!_

_I love to look into you're big brown eyes,_

_They talk to me and seem to hypnotize,"_

The music shook the ground and echoed throughout the walls of Mordhaus. They grinned. It felt good to have no one complain about their shitty music.

Eventually, Murderface and Karina went their separate ways to gather dirty clothes and sheets to wash and freshen them up before the rest of the boys came home from Vegas.

She wondered how they were doing out in the west…

In Las Vegas…

"Wow… what a bunch of dildo's."

"Yeah, where's all the chicks and stuff? This place is overflowing with jack-offs."

"Ja. This ams practically a sausage festivals."

"Ohs, you means likes the one in Vienna?"

"Uhh," Skwisgaar rolled his eyes at his innocence, "no's, Toki."

"Well boys," Charles interfered, "This is a place where metal bands throughout the world gather to meet and talk. No one said anything about there being any fans."

"What?" Pickles shouted, baffled, "You're meaning to tell me you tricked us into coming out here just to talk to other metal guys?"

"Well," Charles began, "I wouldn't put it like that."

"What the fuck? What a waste!" Pickles tossed his bottle of rum to the asphalt, only for it to shatter. Drops of alcohol splattered on their pants.

"See? This is what happens when you don't pay attention at band meetings; you're unaware of what's going on and you don't know what to do," Charles lectured.

"Ah fuck this shit, I'm going back to the casino," Nathan scoffed. Charles halted him.

"You boys aren't going anywhere; you agreed and promised to these people that you would stay for at least three days. Other famous bands are dying to meet you."

"We already know a bunch of famous guys," claimed Pickles. "It's not gonna make a difference if we meet any more of them."

Charles sighed. After a short pause of thinking, he looked to Dethklok. "Very well, then. How about this; we'll stay for one day, and we'll leave first thing tomorrow morning; sound good?"

"Ohs, you means it?" Toki grinned.

"Yes, Toki; I mean it."

"Oh, wowee! This's great! We's going home tomorrow!"

Nathan glared over at Toki, a little annoyed at his enthusiasm. "Why the hell are you so worked up for?"

Toki pouted as the mood was shot. "I don'ts know, I just homesick is all."

Pickles sneered. "Yeah, right."

Toki's face reddened. "Shut the fucks up, motherfuckers!" They giggled.

At Mordhaus…

Piles of white sheets lay upon the couches in the living room. The house was officially undergoing a hardcore cleaning routine. The scent of fresh linen and Windex filled the air; very uncommon for the brutal halls of Mordhaus. Between these piles of sheets sat Karina and Murderface, who had decided to take a break from rinse, wash, and repeat. Their wrists cramped.

"Letch me tchell you something," began Murderface, "you need to start getting out more; go find some friends! It sheems to me like you need shome girl time."

"Well," she began, hardly having any memory of her past personal life at all, "I had one girl friend; Nichole. She was in Deadtime Theorem with me. She played lead. We weren't like, big or anything. But we made a few bucks." She figured everyone knew her secret by now. "We used to smoke weed together and stuff, if you call that 'girl time'."

"Karina," Murderface turned himself over to face her, "you really need tcho get outch of zhat habbit."

"I started when I was thirteen; you really think I can just become clean over night? I can't smoke pot, but it's alright for you all to light one up after every show?"

"Zhat'sh different; you're Karina. We're Dethklok."

"I guess." What the hell? She crossed her arms. She sighed and looked out the shiny now-clean window over all of Mordland.

Murderface cocked his head. "What'sh wrong?" he had finally asked after trying to resist himself from asking.

"Meh," she said. She slumped back on the couch and glared up at the tall ceiling.

"Ah," he remembered the sudden mood swing she had after the rest of Dethklok had left for Las Vegas. He also remembered catching a quick glimpse out of the corner of his eye of her and Toki… hugging? No, it couldn't have been. "It'sh about Toki, ishn't it?" he asked anyway.

She looked up. "What do you mean?"

"Wash zhat not a hug I shaw?"

"Well," she began. She felt like she was in middle school, once again. It was almost sickening. She slumped down, tilting her head to avoid Murderface seeing her face to face. He struggled to look at her.

He finally grinned. "Ahh, I shee. You kisshed him, didn't you? I knew I shaw shomething between you two."

"Don't tell," she groaned. "The band's already got me in enough drama as it is. God forbid if they ever found that out."

"Do you like him?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Do you like him?" Murderface said again. He leaned back into the couch and rested his arm on the arm rest. He kicked one leg up on the table and waited a long moment for a reply.

"I don't know," she said, almost disappointed. Feelings were so hard to comprehend right now. She could barely tell if she was tired or not anymore. "Without him though, it's hard to resist the temptation, if you know what I mean." She looked down to her knees and sighed. All of a sudden, she saw Murderface's hand come into sight and onto her leg. She looked up at him. "Uhh?" was all that escaped her mouth.

"Karina, lishten to me," he said with concern. "You need tcho do whatever your heart tchells you tcho do."

She frowned. "My heart's so dull anymore. I can barely tell it's beating."

"Go for him."

She looked at him. He smiled.

"Go for him," he said again. "I've never sheen a girl sho happy with him; actually happy. Believe it or not, zhe little guy'sh heart hash been broken a few timesh before, all becaush zhose girlsh wanted noticed; money; famous. Zhey didn't like him for _him_. Let'sh face it; it'sh obvioush you're shtarting to shee things differently about him zhat you never shaw before. Am I right?"

"Yeah," there was no use denying it any longer. Yes. It was true. She had feelings for him. In fact, there was really no confusion about it. She is just so scared of the thought of becoming too attached, and losing the one thing she cared about most when she got too close. She had been hiding in the shadows of excuses for too long. She grinned at Murderface. It was actually quite shocking to see him open up like this. She giggled. She wondered why he didn't act like this around the rest of the boys. Then again, they would probably call him 'gay' if he did. After all, he was almost like a girl friend she'd never had. "You're right."

But what she was unaware of was that Toki didn't see the situation on the same level she did. She was unaware that he was trying to accomplish the complete opposite…


	12. Recollections

Yes... it finally came. I'm so sorry I haven't updated since summer, school is in the way now x_x but hopefully I'll be making a lot more of these. Enjoy!

* * *

It was late evening, and Mordhaus was as spotless as it had even been, for a while. One of the Klokateers walked up to Murderface, who was busy resting on the couch reading a magazine on ancient weaponry. "My lord, your package has arrived."

Murderface grinned and accepted the box from the hooded man. "Good," he said to himself. He then raised up and ran through the maze-like halls into the kitchen. "Karina!"

"Huh?"

"I've got a shuprishe for you!" Murderface pulled out the small white box from his pocket.

She paused for a moment. "What is it?" she asked, pondering at the sudden gift.

"Here." He handed the box to her. She opened it up, revealing a new Dethphone Touch from the padded tissue paper. She grinned, speechless. She'd never had her own phone before. "I figured I would buy you shomething in cashe you ever needed me or anyone elshe in cashe of an emergency."

"I don't know what to say, Murderface," Karina flung her arms around his shoulders. "Thank you!"

He giggled nervously, patting her back. "It'sh not like I can't afford it."

Karina turned on her new phone to find it already activated.

Murderface grinned. "Sho… do you want zhe number or not?"

She blushed. "Yeah, actually." Murderface proceeded to dial Toki's number into her phone.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Call him."

"I can't," she hesitated. She giggled innocently.

"Christ," Murderface grumbled in aggravation. "Gimme zhat." He took the phone from her hand and pushed the call button. It rang… and rang… and rang…

_"Hellos?"_

"Hey! Toki, it'sh Murderface!'

_"Umm… Murderface?"_

"Yeah!"

"_Why you calls on someone else's phone?" He knew it was from a Dethphone, because the first three digits always start out with "666"._

"Oh, uh, actually, zhish ish Karina'sh new phone, she'sh absolutely dying to tchalk to you!"

She waved her hands in denial at Murderface, but it was already too late. She rolled her eyes. "Must you always throw me under the bus?"

"Here you go, she'sh right here!" Murderface covered the receiver of the phone. "You are going to talk to him, and you are going to be thrilled about it," he warned her.

She slowly and reluctantly took the phone from his hand. "Umm… hello?"

_"Hi…"_

"Hi, Toki."

Murderface winked. "I'll uhh… give you shome alone time." He walked from the kitchen to finish feasting his eyes upon daggers and swords.

There was an awkward silence over the phone. "So uhh… how's Vegas?"

_"Fine," he replied bluntly. _

She sighed. "You can at least tell me about it."

_"I'm comings homes tomorrow," he said._

"Good." She sat silent for a moment. "It won't be awkward, will it?"

_She could hear Toki sigh over the phone. "I don'ts know…"_

There was another awkward pause before anyone got the nerve to say anything again. "Toki, I'm sorry."

_"For whats?"_

"Everything… all of this confusion. But I want to tell you something-" She paused for a moment.

"_Are you stills there?"_

"Yeah. Nevermind. Sorry." Biggest mistake of her life; or so she thought.

_"I haves to go now, though. Byes."_

When she heard the phone click, she sat her phone down on the kitchen counter. No words were spoken as she stared blankly at the floor. She could feel the blood rising to her ears.

Murderface arrived a few moments after. "Hey!" he said with excitement, as if he'd missed a whole episode of SOAPS. "How'd it go?"

It took her a little bit to regain her thoughts. "Not what I expected." She tried hard to swallow the lump of embarassment in her throat.

Murderface grimaced. "Ohh…"

"I guess." She sighed. Damn. All these weeks of open bond, and she couldn't even get the guts to confront him.

Murderface was faced with a new status. Here before was a young girl, barely out of her teen years, undergoing actual emotional problems. She wasn't plastic, he thought, like those Hollywood sluts. There he went again, thinking those kooky things about the women.

Good god, it _was_ middle school all over again.

In Las Vegas…

The setting evening sun overcastted the city of lights. It was around this time when the streets started to get busy. The Band-A-Thon, in Skwisgaar's words, was dildos. Most of the 'metal' guys there were squawking to meet the actual Dethklok. It was like a concert, only with no skanks and after parties, Pickles had claimed.

Toki spent the majority of the time looking at his phone, playing games and texting old friends. He sat at the foot of his luxury hotel bed, which was littered with skittles and poker chips. Later, he would cash the chips in for money for more candy.

He glanced out at the sun glowing over a bustling city; nothing at all like his home back in Lillehammer. Everything was so modern here. Sometimes he missed the old traditional ways back in Norway. But these fond memories were soon forgotten once he remembered the reason he came here in the first place…

_Everything was quiet; almost too quiet. The tranquil night sky filled with light snow, delicately falling over the Norwegian pastures and mountains. The sheep and cattle were huddled together, and the water well was frozen solid. A loud crack echoed through the night, bouncing off the mountains and startling the herd. They shifted westward._

_"Sinner!" A voice of Norwegian tongue screeched in the dark. "You have gone against the will of God!" Another wrenching crack was heard._

_A young Toki, around 14 years of age, bit his bottom lip so his father would not hear his weakness. His urge to scream in shrill pain was suppressed as he accepted his punishment, even though he did not understand why he was being punished in the first place. Lashes across his back gleamed red as blood trickled down the side of his ribs. His half naked body remained pressed against the cold stone wall. He shook, not from the cold, but from the spine-wrenching pain of his sins had left on his back._

"_You will burn in hell for disobeying the will of the Lord! You sick demon!" Crack…_

_"But what did I do, father?" the small child whimpered in his native tongue after he finally collapsed to the ground. "I do not understand!"_

_"Silence!" the man bellowed, followed back a slap in the face. "If you do not know of your sin, then you do not know the ways of our Lord! You need to be taught! We are saving you!"_

_Toki was caught practicing his guitar, playing the music of the devil himself; metal. The brutality of metal was too much for Aslaug to bear; that distortion screeching like the devil's cry…_

_Toki did not like this "lord." This lord hurt him a lot. If this 'God" was as graceful and forgiving as his parents tell him, he would not hurt him in this way, nor would he require punishments to make him bleed the very elixir of life this "lord" had given him._

_"Get up, you pathetic thing," Aslaug spat at his son. "Get up!"_

_Toki arose slowly, weary and shaking. His scraped knees quivered. His pale blue eyes met his fathers, burning with hate. Damn his father. Damn him, and his cult. How he hated him… how he loathed him more and more with every scrape, cut, welt, and bruise he put upon him. The black abyss in his heart grew for him each passing day. Those eyes… those black beady eyes… glaring at him with anger and disappointment just for existing in this god forsaken world. Being in his presence was blasphemy alone. Aslaug gasped in terror when he saw his son's eyes, his hate-filled eyes… "Demon… demon!" He howled._

_Toki said nothing. This was the last time his father would ever hurt him… _

He stood up from his bed after gathering all of the random poker chips he had laying about. He went downstairs into the hotel lobby where people cashed their chips in for money. After getting about six hundred fifty dollars, even though it was not ten thousand like he had before, he couldn't think of a thing in the world to spend it on while he was here. He bought another bag of Skittles, and made his way back up to his room to freshen up and go shopping.

_While his parents were asleep, Toki managed to wrap a few pairs of pants, shirts, and his beloved deddy bear into a blanket made of sheep skin. It hurt to move from his fresh wounds and his ones that were stiff and scabbing over. He had nothing else, for he was deprived from the outside world. He was not allowed to associate with the kids in his town like he, but instead forced to pray. Well, this is the last time he would pray; pray for a place better than this hell they call home. He quickly, but carefully made his way out the back door. His footsteps in the soft pure snow were quickly covered by the falling flakes that delicately fell from the sky. _

_He ran into the woods, where his trails could hopefully remain hidden. Along the way, he passed a few abandoned graveyards, long forgotten and covered with vines and snow. He shuddered, but kept moving on without thinking twice on looking back. The trees blocked the night sky. But when an area came where the limbs exposed the black sky, Toki saw red flashing lights racing through the air, thousands of feet up high. His eyes widened as he took a second to marvel at the technology behind the plane's abilities. It was almost beautiful… With an idea in his head, he raced through the woods, trying not to think about the dangers that could be lurking around him; wolves, bears, and trolls…_

_Once he had reached the end of his wooded trail, he could see the city lights of Lillehammer before him. The cold snow-filled wind gently blew his almost shoulder-length hair as he took a moment to view the city. Without hesitation, and with his blanket of clothes and his deddy trailing behind him, he ran to the bustling sounds of car horns out of his native territory. 'The airport," he thought._

Toki left his hotel room at around seven, after he had trimmed his mustache and brushed his teeth. He walked down along a strip in Vegas, which had many shops and restaurants of all sorts. He put his hand in his pocket and gripped the money that was inside. He looked around. What was here that was worth spending money on? He looked to his left and saw a music store, with many acoustic and electric guitars hanging in the window. He grinned.

_Lillehammer Airport was huge to little Toki. He had spent all his life growing up on the country side of town. He had almost never seen the city lights, and when he did, he was immediately taken away and back home to harvest more fire wood. He looked up at all the people toppling over him. He was quite short for his age, and was easily swept away by the crowd of people. The airport seemed like a brilliant idea, until he realized he didn't have any money. He looked at the boarding gates, and saw that Gate C was open. He also realized there was a guard nearby, and a lady taking up tickets for the flight. He couldn't risk being found by his parents, who had most likely by now realized he was gone. Driven by the fear and hate, Toki swiftly dashed into a blockage of people at the gate, hiding behind coats and carry-on bags. He was quite skinny, after all. He had successfully made it into the tunnel without being caught. He honestly didn't care where this plane took him. He just wanted out…_

_Boarding this large plane, he looked around in amazement. This was the first time he'd ever seen one of these flying machines before. He marveled at every little detail, from the ground to the compartments above the seats. He took an empty seat near the back, since he had no ticket to lead him to a designated seat. Nervously, he set his deddy and his blanket full of clothes on the seat next to him. He had gotten there just in time. It seemed like as soon as his flesh hit the seat, the plane began to move. The ringing sound of the intercom followed by a woman's voice came over the plane, which startled Toki a little._

"_Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Norwegian Air Shuttle. We are now getting ready to take flight, so for your safety, we as that you please turn off all cellular phones, mp3 players, or any electronic devices you may have on board with you. We are now heading to New York City, New York, in the United States of America."_

'_America?' For a brief moment, Toki was scared. Had he made a mistake?_

"_We will arrive in America at around seven a.m., approximately ten hours and forty-five minutes. Please be sure to fasten your seat belt that lies on either side of your seat. Thank you, and enjoy your flight on Norwegian Air Shuttle."_

_There was no turning back now._

_And at that, the plane began to pick up speed once it had faced the runway. The luggage rattled in the top compartments. His breathing became heavier as he looked around at all the passengers, half of them sleeping. He looked forward again and tried not to look out the window. He could feel the plane slowly lift off the earth. His heart beat faster with each passing second. He wondered when the plane would ever stop going up. Liftoff was traumatizing for him, and the turbulence scared him. He could almost feel himself crying, wanting comfort from someone. But he had made the choice to go alone. Not once did he ever think about saying goodbye._

_It was dark outside, which made him feel a little better. That way, he could not see the ground. But he could see the lights of Scandinavia beneath him when the plane began to settle. How does it feel to be on top of the world? He grinned. It was too beautiful to be frightened of. After about an hour, he found himself drifting to sleep…_

"This one," Toki said, pointing at a specific guitar. "And I wants whats you calls a cape."

"You mean a capo?" Asked the gruff cashier man, who was confused by Toki's broken English.

"Yeah, thats." He began pulling out his money.

"Taylor 714ce? Good choice," said the man removing the Indian rosewood acoustic guitar from the stand that was holding it up behind the counter. "This beauty's got a crisp crystal tune that would make an old man like me tear up." He gently set it inside the black case, cushioned by maroon velvet. It smelled of fresh leather, and the guitar's curves fit perfectly in the delicate case. "Needs some picks?"

"Yeah, I do," said Toki, hoping that no one would see the famous Toki Wartooth buying a grandpa guitar. "They ams haves to be thins, though."

"Thin, huh?" The man pulled out a variety of colored picks. "You play guitar, boy?"

"Oh, yes I do's, but this amen'ts for me. I don'ts plays this grandpas guitars. I only plays dark and brutal," he said a little frustrated that this guy has no idea just who he was.

The man laughed. "Sounds like you've got your mind set on your goals. Who's this for?"

"My friend," said Toki, trying to haste things along so he can just get out of the shop. "Now here's four thousands."

"Thank ya much," said the man collecting the cash from Toki's hands and returning the couple hundred dollars in change. Toki began to walk out of the store, when he added one last additional comment. "That's a lot of money to be throwin' around like that… Tell her she's a lucky girl, to have a beauty like that."

He huffed. "I-" Toki said with agitation, turning around in his tracks. How did he know who he was giving it to? "Never mind. Goodbyes."

_A bleak morning light shone through on young Toki, sleeping sound with his head leaned against the window and his hands folded on his stomach. The wind rattled and shifted the planes wings, and the audible roar of the aircraft's engine had hummed him to sleep the night before. He stirred once he heard the buzz of the intercom once again and felt the plane tilt nearly on its side. _

"_Ladies and gentlemen, we are now landing in the city of New York. We will be meeting the ground in approximately five minutes. Please be sure your seat belts are fastened, and again, all electronic devices and cellular phones are turned off. Thank you for flying Norwegian Air Shuttle, and enjoy your visit in the states."_

_Landing wasn't nearly as bad as liftoff. The sudden jerk of the wheels hitting the runway was a little shock for Toki. The wheels screeched on the asphalt, and speeding across the runway Toki could see tall buildings that toppled over even Norway's highest mountains. Where were all the cattle? Where was all the farmland? Everything was grey, even the sky… Maybe he could lie low and wait until next liftoff…_

_No. He was not going to back down, now. He'd already made it this far, and he'd made it for a reason. He confidently rose from his seat, grabbed his deddy and clothes, and exited the aircraft. The noise of the engine on the outside was loud, almost too loud for his sensitive ears to withstand. Merging with all the people into the airport, Toki fought to find the nearest exit. But this place was huge, much bigger than the one back in Lillehammer. He followed a reunited family who had just gotten their luggage from the spinning wheel. His heart raced as he grew closer and closer to the glass doors, the doors that led to the concrete jungle…_

_He stepped outside, deep breath first… This place was not quiet at all; the screeching of car breaks, many sounds of car horns and angry raging citizens who were late for work due to traffic. There was no heart. This place felt empty… The only people out of the hundreds before him he saw smile was the young couple walking down the street. Even then, their smiles seemed fake; like they were claustrophobic from these tight walls that Toki could swear were arm-to-arm distance from each other. He could barely breathe…_

_Just down the bustling street, a large band stood from their seats, holding their trumpets, tubas, piccolos, and a few other instruments. They were all dressed in their army uniforms, very still and very proud. Just then, all the traffic, all the people, just stopped and turned their attention to the U.S. Marine band, who was welcoming their troops' homecoming. A few people removed their hats. A few people placed their hand over their hearts. Toki was confused, and did nothing._

_Afar, he could see a long pole that stretched toward the clouds. Slowly, a large flag was hoisted by two men also in uniform, all the way to the top of the pole where it could gently wave with its nation's winds. Just then, a loud drum roll echoed through out the city's streets. Everyone turned their attention to the flag. The band began playing 'The Star Spangled Banner', America's original and well-known national anthem. The booming sound of this proud nation almost made Toki's heart stopped. His gaping tooth was visible as he stared in awe at the flag and all of its patriotic glory. The colors of red white and blue shone in his eyes pale blue eyes as his hair waved gently with the wind, the emotion almost too overwhelming as the band played in perfect harmony. It was truly beautiful... For a second, and only a second, he'd forgotten about his home land, including his shuddering past... He could feel the pride rise to his foreign heart as the colors hoisted high in the grey clouds, seeming to paint the sky with honor and freedom. The feelings were indescribable as he found himself accepting these broad changes, that was now an American citizen… set aside from all the oncoming paperwork proving it._

_This was now home. This was pride. This was freedom. This was America…_

The streets of Las Vegas were beginning to get darker as Toki made his way down the strip in direction to their hotel, the guitar in his right hand. He waded through the bustling crowd of people, trying to remain anonymous so no one would confront him. Finally, he had gotten to the main doors to the lobby, where he ran into an unexpected Nathan. "Ohs!" he said in shock, looking up at the bear of a man. "Hi, Nathans," he said nervously.

"Humm," Nathan muffled. He looked down at the large blunt object in Toki's right hand. "What the hell… is that?"

"Oh! It's just, uhh…" He sighed. "It's a grandpas guitar…"

"Hah!" Nathan laughed, "An acoustic, huh? What, are you gonna run off now and join the Woodstockians?"

Toki's little cheeks turned red of embarrassment and rage. "No's! It amen'ts mine!"

"Where did you get it?"

"I boughts it. Gots any more questions?"

"Yeah. Who'd you buy it for?"

"Uh," he choked. "I boughts it for Karinas, you knows, to gives her somethings to do when we're not home-"

"A-ha! I know you wouldn't move on!" Nathan grinned. "You still got a thing for the chick."

Toki growled. "Screw off, Nathans." He turned his back to the man and headed his destined direction; back to bed.


End file.
